


First Times

by alisha_winchester_collins



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Times, Older Man/Younger Woman, One Shot Collection, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:10:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 70,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2062344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alisha_winchester_collins/pseuds/alisha_winchester_collins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of Skye/Coulson one-shot chapters with each individual prompt connecting their relationship into an overall story!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Skye dreams about Coulson

_His lips are like fire to her soul as each kiss ignites a glorious inferno of passion within her that she never knew was part of her. This is the side of herself that only he brings out whenever they are together; but tonight, he seems determined to exceed all levels of her sanity, caressing her skin as his hands slide under the shirt she is wearing and grinning into the kiss when he hears her soft moan. Reaching out, she begins to unbutton his shirt first before moving for his belt and fumbles blindly with the clasp, not willing to break the kiss just yet. Within seconds all their clothes are on the floor and he's lifting her in his arms, carrying her to his bed. For a moment they break apart to take a breath and she stares up at him as she notices the scars across his chest, daring to reach out to touch the biggest one of them all. This was the wound that tore through his heart... it is nothing but a reminder of that incident now and she runs a finger over the rough skin. His only reaction to this is to gaze at her in awe as he realizes that this was not what he had thought the woman in his arms would do when she finally saw the remnants of all the wounds marring his body. Their eyes meet again and she smiles; there is no need for her to say anything because he understands everything she wants to tell him without words, just as they have always understood each other in the past. He knows that she still loves him, scars and all, nothing would change that truth, so he reaches down to capture her lips with his own once again. She responds in return by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her, finally parting her lips as the kiss deepens while he continues to explore every inch of her glorious body with his fingers; trailing from her cheek down to her shoulder and finally reaching her waist where he settles his hands before doing the same with his mouth, leaving gentle kisses on her neck first and then... she feels those soft lips on her stomach... her hands are tangled in his hair... she knows where the next kiss is going to be..._

_"Phil... oh! Phil!" His name falls from her lips as her eyes close the moment she feels him move lower towards her waist._

__*****_ _

"Oof!" Skye is suddenly jerked awake as she feels a bump coursing through the Bus. "A turbulence?" She asks herself as she sits upright in her bed, realizing what the disturbance with the plane could mean. It takes her even less time for the thoughts to come rushing back to her... the dream. With her. And Coulson. Together. In bed. "Oh!" Her eyes widen and she covers her mouth with one hand. Images of what she had just dreamed flow through her mind as she remembers everything, all the while trying not to freak out over the fact that they... it was a good thing that she happened to wake up when she did.

"Skye?" A knock is heard from outside her bunk. "Are you awake?" It's him. Skye inwardly groans as she recognizes the voice; for a moment she debates whether she should open the door and let him know that everything is okay. The other option seems ridiculous to her and so, almost automatically, she finds herself getting up from her bed and walking over to step outside and come face to face with the man of her dreams. _In_ her dreams. Coulson.

"Hey A.C, what happened?" She hopes her voice sounds normal enough and not laced with the ecstasy she swore she never heard herself ever speak even in her dreams before tonight.

"We seem to have come across the freak thunderstorm that May warned us about earlier this evening. She's trying to fly the Bus around most of the clouds but its likely we might hit another mild turbulence in a few minutes." Coulson explained to her before continuing, "I just wanted to check on you and the others to see if everything was okay."

"Oh. Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. I was out like a bulb; didn't realize we went through a turbulence until that tiny bump just now. I'll be okay." Skye rambled as she tried not to fidget, wrapping her arms around her shoulders casually.

"Alright, well I better go and see FitzSimmons. Ward is co-piloting with May so hopefully we'll get out of this soon. Goodnight Skye." There it was. That smile of his, soft and caring just like he was. Skye had to mentally whack herself before she could start shaking her head from thoughts like this while Coulson was still in front of her.

"Goodnight A.C." She whispered as she saw him heading away from her bunk towards Fitz and Simmons'. Without waiting for anything else she slipped back inside her room and locked the door, breathing deeply as she sank to the floor not bothering to walk back to her bed just yet.

Holding her head in her hands, Skye tried to control her thoughts and focus them away from her dream but no matter what she tried, flashes of everything kept coming to her - those kisses against her neck, the feeling of his hands under her shirt, hearing her own voice _moaning_ his name. Her eyes snapped open at that last memory as Skye knew that she could feel her cheeks turning red.

"What am I doing?" She asked herself, wondering if talking aloud would help her figure this out easily or not. Leaning against the cool metal door, Skye sighed as she let all the images wash over her mind.

This was the first time she had ever dreamed about Phil Coulson. Of course the thoughts had always been there; she'd only recently managed to accept that her weird behavior around him lately was due to the fact that the innocent crush she continued to harbor for him ever since day one, was slowly turning into something slightly more serious. It was a silly thing to think about at first. Skye having feelings for Coulson? If it didn't feel so real to her she might have even laughed at her own theory, but she couldn't. And that was when she realized that all the emotions she was experiencing were only increasing towards him. In spite of all this, over the last few weeks, nothing had really happened in terms of her saying anything to anyone on the team about this nor had she dreamed about him. Until tonight.

"Why?" Skye wondered, secretly hoping that Coulson was already back in his office and not walking past her bunk this very second. "The office!" She gasped as it hit her. That was where everything had started.

Almost reflexively, Skye glanced up to her bedside where a small digital clock was visible from her view on the floor. The time was a quarter past 3 in the morning. It had already been several hours since her last encounter with him but obviously that seemed to have stayed in her mind which somehow warped itself into a dream. And now that she remembered, it was no surprise about what she imagined. Skye had gone to Coulson's office at 10 o'clock to ask him about their next mission; why she didn't wait until morning to speak to him with the rest of their team present was something she doubt she would ever find out. Being the ever-so impatient hacker that she was, Skye figured getting some of the details beforehand was okay with Coulson; it would give her something to work on mostly. A knock on the door, one innocent knock had led her to step inside his office and come face to face with... Coulson obviously. At the same time Skye thought in that second this wasn't him.

_"Skye?" His voice certainly sounded the same and his face looked the same to her. It was still Coulson. For the most part._

Her eyes had widened in surprise when she entered the room to find him standing with his back to her, unbuttoning the sleeves of his shirt. And then he turned around when she hadn't said a word; his jacket was lying draped across the desk and a quick glance to the floor showed Skye that his shoes and socks were also lying there. The moment she glanced back to where he stood, watching her carefully, she noticed that his shirt was open. Not completely, no... but the top _three_ buttons were and he wasn't wearing anything underneath. It lasted only a few seconds but for some reason, seeing Coulson only a few feet away from her like this made her think of only one thing. What it would be like to see him without that shirt on. As soon as the thought entered her mind, she almost gasped out loud; this was when she realized that everything was really happening - she was in Coulson's office at a time when he was definitely changing his clothes for bed and she had walked in halfway to see him almost shirtless and she really wanted to know what that would be like.

_"I... umm... sorry. It's nothing. Nothing at all A.C." Skye even recalled the nervousness in her voice as she had immediately turned around to leave. "Goodnight!" She had said as she nearly ran out and made straight for her bunk, almost bumping into Ward, May and FitzSimmons one after the other._

And now here she was, awake from that very vivid dream which Skye pretty much guessed would not be the only one she would be having about Coulson. Sighing to herself again, she got up from her place on the floor and stumbled into bed as she stared at the ceiling of her bunk, thinking about what all this could mean.

_"You already know what this means."_ A voice in her head spoke up. Clearly there was part of her which was determined to get these feelings sorted out tonight itself.

"How on earth am I supposed to know what all this could possibly mean?" Skye wondered out aloud, asking herself the question before realizing what she was doing, "Oh great, now I'm having a conversation with my mind. This keeps getting better and better." Squeezing her eyes shut, she hoped that maybe there was a chance of her falling asleep soon enough without having to worry about the dream coming back to her.

_"Think Skye! Think! Meeting Coulson twice in one night. The dream. Your feelings. Add it all up."_ She could literally hear her mental mind yelling at herself and so Skye resigned almost immediately to listen to her own suggestion. The sooner she actually knew what was going on, it would be easier to figure out what her next step was going to be.

This time when she relaxed her mind and made sure her eyes weren't open, Skye always knew she could think best like this, she thought back... not just to what had happened a few hours ago but everything that she had experienced ever since she had come face to face with Phil Coulson; the day he had found her in L.A hiding out in the van. The moment she sat with him in Lola was really when Skye knew... in her heart and in her mind... that things would be different from then. In spite of not knowing what she was getting herself into, at least not that day itself, she hadn't felt anything but a sense of... hope. Hope for things to finally change in her life, hope for some happiness and some _good_ to experience, hope for finding a place where she could be herself and still belong. Coulson had given her this chance and while she may have faltered at the beginning, it was realizing how much her betrayal had hurt him which in turn hurt herself just as much, that she knew it would never happen again.

"Feelings... think about the feelings." She repeated to herself, knowing that she was purposely distracting her thoughts from the main objective.

_"Don't forget to think about why you're avoiding this topic."_ There it was. Her rational mind speaking up again and giving Skye the push she needed.

"I'm avoiding thinking about this topic because I'm scared!" She answered herself instantly as if the words had been lingering on her tongue ever since the beginning of this... self-intervention thing she was going through.

_"Scared of what?"_ Another nudge. Another question which was bringing her one step closer to the truth of this matter about her feelings for Coulson.

"Scared of... of what the feelings might turn out to be! That it's silly and not possible and not even something serious. And that he isn't going to feel the same way obviously because he's my boss and he's older than me and he definitely hasn't even considered the fact that..." She stopped rambling then and sat upright, barely noticing that her breaths were slightly uneven now.

_"That...?"_ Skye was pretty sure she could hear her inner-voice actually sound like it was filled with glee and grinning all over with just that one word which was making her realize just what 'that' meant.

"No. No no no..." Skye was starting to piece things together at last. The realization, the understanding, the revelation that she was having. It needed to stop. Before it was too late and there was nothing she could do about it. There was no way she would even think about... it was just a crush. Or maybe an attraction. Nothing more than an infatuation! Surely it couldn't be...

"Love." The four lettered word was finally spoken and there was no going back from this. "Oh my god." She had said it out loud; obviously there was no other explanation for everything she was feeling and thinking but the one thing. "I love Coulson." Skye whispered and then noticed a sense of peace filling her as she finally admitted to herself that this was the truth.

For the next several minutes she remained seated in bed, not noticing that the plane was starting to go through another wave of turbulence just like Coulson had warned her about. She just sat and let the feeling of being free from the constant confusion over the last few days settle in. Skye didn't know what she would have expected from herself when she finally accepted that she loved Coulson but given her reaction as of this moment, it was definitely better than anything else. By now, she knew it was mainly because of the dream... her first real dream about him, which led to confronting herself about these feelings. She was aware that the voice in her head was part of her that already knew she was in love; and now that Skye was past this first stage of acceptance, she smiled to herself when she settled down to sleep at last knowing it would be a pleasant night ahead. Plus she had stopped talking to her mind so that was a bonus. Unfortunately, the second her head touched the pillow, there it was... the unmistakable serious inner-voice.

_"This is just the beginning for us Skye! We have to figure out what to do_ about _the fact that you love Coulson! Are you going to tell him? Are you not going to tell him? What if he says he doesn't feel the same way or maybe he_ does?"

The only thing Skye did in response to all these new questions that suddenly were sprung upon her was to grab the second spare pillow she had borrowed from Simmons and covered her head with it, blocking all thoughts and voices for tonight. All she wanted to do was sleep and enjoy a few hours of blissful happiness. Perhaps she would end up having another dream about Coulson again; with that hope in mind and a grin on her lips, Skye finally drifted off.

 


	2. First Touch

Three days. That's how long it had been since the night Skye had dreamed about Coulson and realized that she loved him; ever since then it was only a matter of few hours before she came to the conclusion that she was going to tell him about her feelings. This happened the following morning which was two days ago, but there was still no sign of Skye attempting to make her move. Although it did seem that she was able to behave like her old self around him again and he definitely did not fail to notice it. Luckily for her, in the beginning his reaction towards her was the same like it always was and they had fallen into their regular routine of work now that the next mission was being planned out, and yet... Skye couldn't help but wonder if there would be something of a sign from Coulson... a small tiny smidgen of  _anything_ to help her figure out 'how' she was going to say the words outright to him. What she hadn't expected was the kind of sign she had received only minutes ago. Or was it an hour? More than that? One thing she knew for certain now... instead of focusing on 'how' Skye was concerned only about 'when' she was going to tell Coulson that she loved him. And it was all because of a single touch.

If Skye was going to get technical about this, then  _ technically _ Coulson had done so earlier before when he had shown her a simple gesture of a light and comforting touch on her shoulder sometimes or against her back. This was different altogether though. What she had just found herself experiencing was certainly the first of a touch which fueled her hope that maybe these feelings of hers were not entirely one-sided. Of course it was too soon to be sure and all she had to go on was one touch which, although did linger a little more than expected, didn't prove anything yet. However, unlike the previous instances, this time, Coulson's touch had caught Skye off guard and left her breathless for a second. Of all the touches she had ever thought of - his hand reaching out to grasp hers or even to hold her wrist, a soft touch to her cheek, his fingers brushing against her ear as he tucked a strand of hair behind it -  _ this _ was definitely not something she had dreamed of but was secretly bursting with a slight giddiness at the memory of what his touch had been like. The team's weekly meeting to discuss their plans had finished around dinner time and after a nice meal in the kitchen, Skye took her work over by the bar with Ward for company while FitzSimmons returned to the lab. Shortly before midnight, the young hacker had been vaguely aware that her friends had bid her goodnight as they all headed for their bunks; she was caught up in running several programs simultaneously and relocated to the bar so that she would get space to arrange all the documents she was printing.

When Coulson walked in after spending the better part of the last few hours in his office, deciding to have a late night drink, he wasn't surprised to see Skye sitting there with her head buried in the laptop and surrounded by various... cards? He knew that she was determined to finish the bulk of work soon since the important stuff had been assigned to her but also realized she probably hadn't taken a breather since before dinner.

"Skye..." His voice was soft as he walked towards the bar and got her attention. She looked up from her laptop and smiled when she saw him standing there.

"Hey A.C, I didn't know you were here." Skye said to him, pausing her work momentarily. "What time is it?" Barely able to stifle a yawn, she blinked several times before turning to face the screen again.

"Almost midnight. Are you still working on the I.D cards?" He asked, sitting down on the only empty barstool beside her. Glancing around the counter, Coulson noticed a few fancy invitations and gilded envelopes spread out along with 6 new card laminations which were currently empty.

"Yeah, I'm just about done with the last one. I didn't realize it was so late." She mumbled in reply, much more aware of his close proximity to her than the work she was doing on the laptop; she just hoped that she wasn't making it too obvious.

For a moment, Coulson simply watched Skye as she typed extremely quickly, pursing her lips together and a tiny frown forming on her forehead; he had seen her use those special hacking skills of her before but this time was different, the mission was a highly sensitive one and because it required all six of them to go into the field everything had to be impeccable without even a single piece of information going wrong. Skye was the only person qualified to get the details sorted out and he had complete faith in her. Still, it was... amusing to see her just then. Sitting at the bar with the lights of the Bus illuminating the room in a soft glow only enhanced her features and he felt as if he were just noticing how beautiful she looked.

_ "Beautiful? Did I just...?" _ Coulson was surprised at himself when he thought of the word 'beautiful' in his mind. Not that Skye wasn't beautiful, she was. Quite pretty in fact if he was being completely honest with himself.  _ "Where are all these thoughts coming from! She's... she... is beautiful. But why am I thinking about her so much? "  _ He wondered. Before he could do anything else he was suddenly very aware that she was staring up at him with those lovely brown eyes of hers.

"A.C? You... uh... you feeling okay?" Skye hadn't heard Coulson say anything to her in the last few minutes and wondered what happened; when she looked to him she noticed that he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Curiosity got the best of her and so Skye spoke up. That, and the fact of enjoying his presence with her was calming and she wasn't about to let it go just yet.

"Yes. Yes, everything is fine Skye. I was just thinking..." He stopped for a moment, unable to break away from her gaze before going on, "About why I came here. To get a cup of hot chocolate; and I thought maybe you could use one too." He added as an afterthought.

"Oh!" Skye's eyes widened a little when she heard him offer her the best cure from all this work she had been doing. "Hot chocolate is my guilty pleasure. I'd love some. Do you need any help?" She asked, briefly debating if that was a good idea or not but she went with it.

"I'm sure I can manage. Besides you have your work to finish up." He smiled at her as he stood up to walk around to the opposite side behind the bar and began to search for the necessary ingredients.

"True and I'm just about finished so I'll let you make the cocoa." Skye grinned before turning back to her laptop. She had not expected this would be the way her night would end but she was definitely glad Coulson came when he did.

Several minutes passed by in a comfortable silence between the two of them; Coulson didn't take much time to whip up two mugs of steaming hot chocolate and by the time he passed it around to Skye, she finally closed her laptop and let out a deep sigh of relief. There was no way she would have let the opportunity to pass by with her continuing to work while sharing a nice quarter of an hour with Coulson having cooca together. And although she had no idea about the things which were going on in his mind at that time, Skye knew that maybe this was the chance. It could be too early to say anything to him right now and since she wasn't feeling certain about the timing then maybe she would be content to simply relax and indulge herself in the experience of spending a quiet night on the Bus with no one else around the two of them. Who would break the silence first though? Him or her? She briefly considered saying something about the work she finished but he already knew everything that there was to know... Almost. As if reading her mind, Coulson decided to speak up.

"Now that your work is done Skye... are you going to tell us about the new identities you've made?" He was curious to know what she had thought of.

"I will. Just not yet." She answered him with a simple enough reply and then continued, "Maybe I could show you yours?" Skye swore in that second when the question left her lips she felt her heartbeats increasing, which was silly of course, this was routine work and Coulson was here next to her already.

"Is that alright with you?" Coulson didn't mind waiting until everything else was prepared and ready to be handed out to the others when the time came. At the same time he was a little intrigued behind what Skye had done.

"Of course it is A.C!" Skye exclaimed, looking excited at the idea of showing her work to him; after all, she had spent the last several hours on it all. "The passports will be ready by tomorrow but for now, I've completed the main identity backgrounds for everyone and here are the I.D's we'll be using." Picking up one of the laminated cards from the table she handed it over to Coulson.

"Ah... this is interesting." He commented, a small smile forming on his face when he examined his new, temporary identity.

"Do... do you like it?" Unable to help herself, she blurted out the silly question and then wondered why it was something she needed to worry about.

"I do. I think it'll fit nicely with yours... May I?" Spotting her picture amongst the other batch, Coulson gestured to it and waited until he saw Skye nod. "You've chosen a lovely name for yourself too." He held both the cards in one hand for a moment before placing them back with the others.

"Thanks. I know they're just names but I figured we all could use something different." Skye said, not really explaining herself to him but just talking about her reasoning behind the choices, "Except for May... but I get why she wanted to stick with her own name. Melinda sounds nice." She finished, wondering what she could say to him next.

"That it does, but at least she agreed to let you work up a new background story. May never really likes these undercover missions..." Coulson stopped for a second and Skye noticed his voice turning serious as he went on, "But this is a highly sensitive matter that S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to handle before things get out of control, even if it means infiltrating a highly secure and near-impossible to infiltrate place by dressing up with fake names and getting the job done."

"And we will get it done. With all of us going in together, the chances of our success are higher than if it was just two of us... team members." Skye remembered that she had to add the last words in otherwise the meaning sounded more like her thoughts which were starting to stray again. Maybe it was the hot chocolate and his presence combined together.

Once more, Coulson's next words to Skye made her think that he was really good at correctly guessing a tiny fraction of her thoughts and hoped it was just pure luck. Although the chances of him knowing what else went on in her head were pretty slim so she wasn't worried.

"You haven't even touched your hot chocolate since we started talking! Its probably gone cold by now." The tone of his voice might have revealed a slight tinge of disappointment but it was gone before Skye noticed it.

"Oh... no, its fine. I don't mind it a little warm." Still puzzled at how he had been able to pinpoint that part of her thoughts before he spoke was about the hot chocolate, Skye was distracted as she lifted the mug to her lips and drained it whole in a few quick gulps, well aware that Coulson was watching her.

"Was it any good?" He asked when she was done. "I've never really been able to make a decent cup of hot chocolate for myself before. I usually just wait for FitzSimmons or... you." Coulson wondered, not for the last time, why he was starting to pay more attention towards Skye, almost as if he had just begun to  __ see _ _ her.

"It was delicious! And I mean it... my opinion on hot chocolate is never wrong. You and Fitz have the same idea of letting the froth stay at the top, I think that makes it even more enjoyable." Skye didn't realize when she had started rambling but as soon as she finished talking there was no warning for what came next.

Coulson had heard her gush over his hot chocolate making skills but at the same time was distracted by something and in that moment, without thinking about anything, once Skye fell silent... he instinctively closed the distance between the two of them as he reached across to wipe away the tiny splotch of froth which she hadn't noticed yet.

The moment she felt his touch as a finger ran over her upper lip, Skye couldn't stop the shiver that went down her spine as she locked gazes with him in that second. Neither of them said a word, but both were aware of Coulson's finger lingering on her lip longer than was needed. Skye could feel her heart thumping against her chest and wondered if he could hear it too. There was complete and utter silence around them and somehow, this felt like it was normal; unexpected yes, but not entirely awkward either. And just like that, the connection was broken when he pulled back as he cleared his throat and looked away.

"You had a little... froth over there..." He explained hastily while bringing his hands back to himself.

"Oh... thanks." Skye mumbled as she grabbed a napkin and dabbed her mouth once more just to be sure that there was nothing else on her lips.

A tiny beeping noise from somewhere next to them gave Coulson a chance to get his mind focused on something which he knew was easy to figure out; what he just did for Skye on the other hand, was only confusing his thoughts more and more but it needed to wait until morning at the very least. Noticing that the noise was coming from her cell phone alarm, Skye turned it off and knew the moment had long passed now; it was time for her to clear up her work and head for her bunk.

"It seems that we've both stayed awake past our bed time." Coulson spoke up first, finally bringing himself to look at the woman in front of him and noticed that there was a little redness in her cheeks. "We'll be landing in L.A by late morning so we should probably get our rest. Its going to be a busy week ahead."

"Yeah, I'll just wrap all this up in a few minutes. Make sure I have everything we need." She glanced his way quickly before turning her attention to the laptop once again.

"Would you like some help?" It was the least he could do, something that he hoped would not make Skye feel like things were suddenly awkward between them. Different yes, but there was nothing wrong with that.

"Sure..." For reasons Skye decided to keep to herself, she found that she could not refuse his offer and knew that if he thought things might get uncomfortable, maybe something as simple as packing up might bring about a sense of their usual routine again.

It took her only a couple of minutes to file away all the necessary documents and papers that they would be needing along with the laptop safely stored inside the bag. The one thing that Skye couldn't help smile about was when she noticed there was no need for Coulson to ask her what he had to do, they were always in tune with each other's work space that it didn't even feel like an invasion when he was handling all her important things. After that, the only thing left to be done was... saying goodnight to each other. They walked back together as far as Skye's bunk where Coulson handed her the pile he carried in his arms over to her so that she could set them beside her bed.

"Thanks again for the help." Skye felt the air between them starting to feel normal again and she was glad about it. "I'll see you tomorrow morning." She had stuck both hands into her back pockets just in case a sudden urge to hug him came over her and that was something for another time.

"Goodnight Skye." Coulson smiled at her, knowing there would be a chance for him to talk to her if he needed to at any point.

Once he had left for his office, Skye slipped inside and closed the door behind her almost running towards the bed where she lay on her stomach with a pillow under her chin as she thought back to the moment. Three days later she had finally gotten a sign from Coulson and even though it was just a simple touch, Skye couldn't stop herself from grinning as she touched her lips with her finger, feeling the warmth within her again.

"Goodnight A.C." She whispered softly as she reached over to turn the lamp on her bedside table off and settled in to sleep, not knowing what the next morning was going to bring for her and for Coulson. After all, he best surprises are always the ones which remain unspoiled, unknown and unexpected.

 


	3. The First Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we have the first of four chapters directly connecting to each other! Skye & Coulson's first dance!!!

"Are you sure about this?" Skye gulped as she stood a little awkwardly and unsure of what she had signed up for that morning; "I mean... I don't... I've never done this before and I wouldn't want to hurt you A.C." It was the nerves, nothing else, it had to be just nerves. Right?

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly as she thought back to the conversation that Jemma had brought up a few hours ago when the Bus had landed in Los Angeles, parked in a secure airfield which would provide them plenty of privacy to carry out their plans. Of course going undercover meant that they would have to blend in with all the other guests but Skye and the others had not expected _this_ to be a necessity. And it wasn't as if Skye did not approve of this opportunity, in fact if she was being completely honest with herself then she had been the first one to speak up in favor of this idea - after all, it was compulsory for all pairs to be prepared to _dance_ if it came down to that.

"Don't worry about me Skye, I'll be fine." Coulson replied as he straightened up from his search for something behind the desk and walked over to her. "This should help us get started." A large envelope-package that he held in his hands was opened to reveal something Skye never thought she would actually get to see up close.

The seconds were starting to slip away now as she realized that after spending all morning in her bunk pacing up and down, which was as hard to do as it sounded, it was almost time. Skye was going to learn how to dance... from her partner... Coulson.

"Is that what I think it is?" She asked as her eyes widened, trying not to focus on her heartbeats which were speeding up. Instead, she watched him click the doors open to the cabinet beside them; there was an actual gramophone inside and Coulson had a vinyl record which he placed on the turntable but didn't move the needle to play the music just then.

"Yes, I happened to collect a couple of these albums when I was younger and I've been saving it for a rainy day chance to bring this out." The genuine happiness on his face was visible to Skye when she saw him smiling. "Its been a long time since I listened to music on this; I figured if we were going to do this the old-fashioned way then it would be wrong not to use the real music player instead of an ipod or mp3 player." Coulson said as he gestured for Skye to follow him towards the middle of his office.

"The old fashioned way is definitely better than anything else." Skye commented as she waited for his instructions; when May had mentioned Coulson knew the classical waltz and ballroom dancing styles, it was decided that he should teach her while everyone else went to gather their supplies for the mission.

He didn't say anything to her just then but gave one of his big smiles, knowing that Skye really meant it. Coulson wasn't sure how, but he knew that she truly appreciated classical music from the 70's and 80's. The rest of his team already knew how to dance and since Skye was going to be his partner on the night of the mission, it was only right to step up and offer to teach her the basics of waltzing. And now that he watched the young woman standing not more than a few feet away from him, ready to learn, Coulson felt... oddly nervous about this.

"A.C?" Skye's voice broke through his reverie and he shook away all the confusion and nerves, concentrating his thoughts only on her.

"Its nothing... I was just thinking that we should start with the basics of how our positions will be and teach you a few steps without the music." He explained to her as he held out his hand.

"Okay." If any signs of hesitation on her behalf remained, Skye knew that they would disappear once the initial nervousness of dancing passed by; there was nothing else worrying her because she couldn't have asked for a better partner, it was only the dance aspect that she was unsure of. "What do I need to do?" Giving her hand over to him, she couldn't help blink her eyes for an instant of a second as she felt his fingers sliding through hers. This touch was all that Skye needed as she knew the nervousness vanished almost instantly.

"First things first, hands." Coulson brought her left hand up to rest on his shoulder while gently placing his right hand on her waist. "Our elbows are always supposed to be raised up." He explained before continuing, "Now when the music begins... this side of the elbows are also up." Taking her free hand in his, he inadvertently ended up pulling Skye close to him and for a moment they both stood inches apart from each other, gazes locked without either of them daring to breathe.

Skye knew her heart was thumping loudly against her chest but she hoped that Coulson didn't hear it, no matter that he was near enough for her to feel his warm breath on her skin. Her eyes were still on him and she wondered what thoughts were going through his mind in that moment; it seemed as if her own mind had stopped all forms of coherent thinking because all she knew was there was no better experience than having her first dancing lesson with him.

"And then?" Skye whispered softly, breaking the silence between them without realizing that she had spoken out loud. What she did know was the way her voice sounded and it reminded her of that night when she dreamed about him; there was no fear, only...

 _Sensual._ Hearing those two words form a question on her lips sounded every bit sultry and sensual in that moment as Coulson felt his fingers grazing her waist; his mind had been thinking about something. Dancing. With Skye? For... the mission... yes. That was it, Jemma had suggested the idea to him in front of Skye and the others. He was supposed to be teaching her how to waltz; closing his eyes to bring him back to his senses, Coulson cleared his throat and stepped back slightly, just enough for them to have a little space in between.

"And then comes the feet." He answered at last, "This might be a little tricky... so we'll go slowly and take it step by step okay?" Coulson wondered for an instant if he was doing the right thing by continuing their dance lesson, because all his mind seemed to be thinking was that the moment with Skye should have stayed the way it was.

Skye nodded her head, well aware of the fact that even though they hadn't yet begun to dance, this was a first for Coulson too. The first time he was dancing with someone who really needed to control herself and make sure she didn't up being one of those klutzy girls who kept stepping on her partner's feet; but as soon as that thought crossed her mind, Skye remembered something and she glanced down, knowing Coulson's gaze followed hers as well and noticed that she was barefooted for this practice lesson.

"I thought it would be less painful if I didn't have my shoes on." She explained quickly, wondering if it was weird for her to be standing there in front of him like this.

"Its a very good idea actually, and I think you shouldn't be the only one to do that." Coulson grinned slightly as he let go of Skye's waist and hand for a moment as he, to the hacker's surprise, also removed his shoes _and_ socks. Now that they both had dealt with the possibility of having their feet stepped on accidentally, he resumed his position. "There we are, now... the feet. All you have to remember is that every step I take forward you need to step back and whenever you step in front I'll do the same."

"I think I got it." Skye wondered if she was imagining that her palms were starting to get a little sweaty, the office was pretty cool so she figured it was just her nerves.

"Well let's try it without the music and I'll show you what we need to do." Saying so, he immediately began to guide Skye as he slowly took a step toward her and couldn't help but grin when he saw her instinctively take a step behind, almost as if she knew what she was doing.

For the next few minutes he guided her across the empty clearing of his office, stopping only once or twice to explain a different step or re-adjust his hand positions. It was no surprise to him that Skye was a fast learner and definitely a natural at this even though she claimed to have never danced before today.

"This isn't so bad!" She exclaimed as they moved in sync for the most part around the room, amazed at her own dancing skills which weren't too bad for a beginner like herself. "How is this so easy for you?" Skye couldn't help but ask when he paused for a moment before raising one hand and twirling her once making her laugh at her almost fumbled attempt.

"There's only one secret to dancing really." He smiled as his hands found her waist again and he continued to step back and forward once a time, counting the beats in his head.

"And what secret would that be?" Skye was curious to know; she glanced up at him and almost forgot to breathe when she saw him bend down to her ear and whispered something softly. The words barely just registered in her mind as they suddenly stopped dancing.

The moment she felt his breath tickling her ear, Skye couldn't help but close her eyes as she relished in that moment; she had managed to be relatively composed all along while learning the steps to their dance. Although now she wondered if that was mainly because there was no music yet and her concentration had been directed more towards her feet than his lips. _Lips._ They were so close to her ear that she was sure Coulson might have even touched the tips without realizing it and her heart thumps in her chest were definitely too loud for him not to hear.

"Skye..." Her name fell from his lips in a way she couldn't describe clearly; all she knew just then was she could hear him say her name over and over again without ever wanting him to stop. She had diverted her eyes away from his gaze and she was vaguely aware of the sudden distance between them as Coulson moved further back. "I... I think its time we started the music, don't you?"

Whatever words he really wanted to say to her were left unsaid as Coulson turned to face his turntable gramophone. All these feelings and thoughts that he knew Skye felt as strongly as he was experiencing them now, he couldn't help but wonder if it was just them getting caught up in the heat of this moment with their dance practice. The close proximity with each other, the soft touches as they held hands and the silence of having the Bus being empty just then... it could possibly just be... nothing. And yet, as soon as he lifted the needle onto the vinyl record letting the music fill up in these surroundings, Coulson knew whatever _this_ was... with Skye... it was anything but nothing. Still standing with his back to her for those few minutes, he debated whether or not he should... no; now was not the right time. He wasn't certain of his own feelings just then and neither did he know if she felt the same way and even if she did, would it be right for them to start something?

"A.C." Skye had noticed that Coulson was unusually silent as the first song began to play softly in the background. This was not the one they were planning to practice with, but when she observed his stance just then, it didn't take her more than a few seconds to understand that there was something on his mind. "Is everything okay?" Without hesitation, she crossed the office space to where he stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing he would turn around to face her but likely not open up about anything... yet.

"Yes. Yes... everything is fine Skye." Coulson knew that he would have to talk to Skye sooner or later. After all, the mission was coming up in a week's time and once they all were in the field together, everyone's focus had to be on getting the job accomplished first. Even though he knew the two of them would be partnered up, maybe the right time would be after all this was said and done. "I got caught up wondering about the mission." He couldn't ever keep anything from the young woman, even though by now, the question of ever doing so to Skye of all people was impossible, Coulson knew that while he trusted her with everything, this was something serious that needed to be talked out when there were less impending dangers lurking around.

"We have time. And I'm sure that with your impeccable dance skills, I'll be fairly decent and waltzing if we'll need to on that night; make sure that all our cover's stay intact." Skye knew he wasn't specifically thinking about her dancing abilities but until he was ready to tell her what was really on his mind., she figured a little distraction from all this seriousness would help him feel better.

When he heard her words and saw the sincerity behind them, Coulson looked over to Skye and saw a smile playing on her face. The hacker was dedicated to their cause and wouldn't leave anything to chance, even if it seemed to be something trifling as learning how to dance for a mission.

"I have complete faith in you Skye." He meant what he said, even if he wasn't only talking about her dancing. If there was one thing Coulson knew without a shred of doubt, it was that he believed in Skye, no matter what. "And you're a pretty good dancer already, but we'll still continue the lessons until the night before our mission."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" There wasn't really any worry in her mind that just because her first morning of practice had gone good, the two of them wouldn't stop the dance lessons. Not when Skye was certain Jemma would have a lot to say about that. "So... we're ready for this right?" By now the song that they were meant to listen to had started to play and she stood up straight to fall into position.

"Yes. We are ready." With a smile of his own, Coulson took up his place in front of Skye and took her hand in his as she lightly rested her hand on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist once again.

Now that the music had begun, Coulson and Skye easily managed to fall into a good enough rhythm as they danced slowly until their sync flowed perfectly in time with the song. This time though, neither of them were bothered about stepping on each other's feet for they were too busy caught up in their gazes which were focused on each other; it was an unspoken agreement between them that when Skye _did_  nearly stumble after the twirl again, Coulson caught her in his arms and she found herself blushing, but they went on dancing without needing to say a word. All their fears and worries and doubts were pushed aside temporarily because the only important thing was just Coulson and Skye. Dancing together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should point out that I know nothing about waltzing or basic dancing so apologies if it sounds wrong!


	4. A Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's part 2 of the 4 connecting chapters, based on the prompt of "First Gift"

"Oh my goodness! Skye!" Jemma almost shrieked as she entered the bunk, "You look absolutely gorgeous!" It was finally the night of their mission and Skye had just finished getting changed into her outfit.

"Thanks Jemma, I guess your choice was definitely better than anything I could have found." The afternoon when Skye had spent with Coulson learning how to dance, Jemma and the others had returned from shopping and along with a suit for him, she had managed to find something for Skye as well. "And you look really pretty too." Skye commented as she saw Jemma's reflection in the mirror.

"I... well I wasn't sure if emerald was my color but... Fitz insisted that it would look good and since Ward agreed too... I just... I figured both the boys couldn't be wrong." Jemma tried her best not to turn red but in the light coming from outside and the room, Skye noticed the blush and grinned to herself.

"Oh yeah, Fitz sure knows how to pick his colors." She herself was wearing a different shade but couldn't help let the thought cross her mind if she really could pull this off; long evening gowns were not the first thing she would have chosen to wear, except for a mission like this.

"Skye... you have to stop fidgeting so much, the dress is perfect and everyone will love it!" Jemma had just managed to save herself from saying 'Agent Coulson' specifically to her friend; whatever was going on between them, she might have picked up on _something_ but chose to wait it out and see where things went. "And you almost made me forget why I came to see you." She added as she walked over to where Skye stood.

"What is it?" Turning around and looking confused, Skye noticed that Jemma held a velvet box in her hands; in all her anxiousness if the dress wasn't going to tear or make her fall with the heels she wore underneath, she hadn't noticed anything else.

"This... is a small gift for you." Jemma said as she handed the box over to Skye, "Its from Agent Coulson." She added and waited for a reaction.

Taking the box in her hands, Skye couldn't help but glance up at Jemma with her eyes wide open as she registered the fact that Coulson had sent a gift. For her. Without waiting for an explanation, she opened it and let out a soft gasp when she saw what was inside.

"I... it... it's so beautiful." Skye didn't know what else she could say. Her fingers touched the object within and she felt her heart swell as she took in the gorgeousness of this gift.

"He said it was antique and wanted me to use it in order to add a tiny piece of a recording device so that we could get something inconspicuous through the security systems." Jemma pointed out one of the places which had hers and Fitz's specially modified device installed; hidden in plain sight to everyone who tried to look for it.

"I don't... I can't take something like this though. If its an antique then... Coulson..." Skye started to say but her voice trailed off when she sensed another presence in the room.

And there he was, standing at the entrance of her bunk wearing the suit that Jemma had bought for him - dressed in full black, except for a personal touch of his own. Skye immediately knew it was something Coulson had added himself; a pale gold silk scarf which was covered in patterns of all kinds. It made him even more handsome which apparently was possible. She had been staring, she knew that much but as soon as her eyes trailed up from the scarf to meet his, Skye blushed deeply when she saw him gazing at her with a look of wonder on his face. Jemma had noticed this silent exchange of looks between them and decided it was time to make her leave. Clearing her throat was her way of breaking the silence which was spread throughout the room, she squeezed Skye's hand softly before speaking up.

"Agent Coulson! I wasn't expecting to see you here, aren't the other boys waiting in the lab for us?" She beamed brightly as she sauntered over to the exit, "You look very handsome sir." Jemma was delighted to see the scarf he wore matched the suit perfectly. "I should probably go and check on Agent May, see if she needs anything." Knowing that neither Skye or Coulson were likely to have heard her, Jemma quickly left them as she congratulated herself mentally; the dance lesson idea had been the best!

Now that they were alone in Skye's room, Coulson stepped inside and observed the open box in her hands, which was still not empty.

"Didn't you like the gift?" He asked her, each step he took brought her nearer to him. "I heard what you were saying and its because I trust you to take good care of this that I suggested FitzSimmons to use it." They were barely inches apart at this point and Skye had to look up at him.

"A.C... I don't think I could really... this obviously is precious to you and I know how you like your antiques..." Once more she was cut-off mid sentence when he interrupted her.

"This isn't just another of my _precious_ antique items Skye... if you want to know the truth then in all honesty, this is actually a family heirloom that my mother gave me when I was only a young man." He paused for a second when he realized Skye might have lost her grip on the box and so he reached out to hold her hands and keep it steady, "I'm entrusting you with this because we need something smaller than any other normal jewelry like a necklace or earrings... and besides, it does match your dress." Coulson added when he saw that Skye was still in partial shock.

The weight of his words had reached Skye's ears when she heard that this item belonged to Coulson's mother and yet she could not believe that he was letting her borrow it for their mission; the importance and meaning behind his trust in her was something she understood and yet somehow she knew that the more she tried to protest against using something so special and close to his heart, he wouldn't let her win this debate. Knowing that she was resigned to accept this gift, Skye reached out to remove it from the velvet cushion when she felt his fingers brush against hers; their eyes met once again and he nodded, knowing there was no need to say anything else. She turned back to face her mirror just then and closed her eyes as Coulson took his mother's antique heirloom in his hands; it was a tiny comb, no bigger than his palm, silver in color with a half dozen sapphire stones inlaid across the rose pattern embellished there. Since her hair had already been styled in a simple low bun, it was easy for him to slide the comb in atop her elastic band that held it in place.

"Thanks... A.C." Skye whispered as she gave him a small smile and raised a hand to the bun, hovering around the comb but not touching it just yet.

"You look... stunning." Coulson had stepped back only slightly, enough for Skye to have space in case she wanted to check how her hair looked.

As he stared at the woman in front of him, he took sight of how beautiful she was; her evening gown was deep midnight blue in color with a pleated bodice that twisted and flowed into an elegant skirt and a slight train at the end. There was a silk ribbon attached to the waist and to top it off, the gown also had delicate beaded cap sleeves that hung just below her shoulders. Skye had also opted to wear light jewelry at Jemma's insistance - a pair of sapphire drop earrings along with a silver and blue bracelet on her right wrist.

If it wasn't obvious to him, Skye surely knew that his compliment had made her cheeks turn red; she wondered if she should say something but before she could, Coulson had already held out his arm for her.

"Shall we?" He offered, "It's almost time we left for the mansion. And the others are probably waiting for us." Coulson may have felt the pressure of how crucial their mission was when he had first started to get ready, but now that he was here with Skye, all other thoughts left his mind.

"Yes." Skye replied as she slipped her arm in his and walked out of her room side by side, heading for the lab where, sure enough FitzSimmons, Ward and May were already gathered.

During the next several minutes, everyone exchanged compliments with each other as they waited for their designated cars to arrive. Skye had already seen Jemma's dark emerald gown, strapless with a mermaid skirt and tiny sequins from top to bottom that made it seem as if they were rhinestones, May on the other hand had chosen a stunning golden evening dress with a slit in the skirt up to one calf. Fitz had decided to go for a tuxedo complete with a white shirt and black bow tie and Ward was dressed in a three piece black suit with a red shirt under his vest. It was only when Skye felt Coulson's arm touch her elbow while in the middle of a discussion with Fitz that she knew the cars were here; remembering her conversation with Coulson a few days ago about whether or not they would be taking Lola and the only response she had gotten was a cryptic, _"I decided on something else, more fitting for us to blend in like the other guests."_ What should have been an obvious thing to her actually surprised Skye when she glanced back to the ramp and saw not one, but _two_ long and sleek black limousines standing just opposite the Bus with uniformed chauffeurs waiting patiently for their guests.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents of course." May told Skye as they all walked outside towards their respective cars, "They're our undercover backup." She explained to the hacker who still couldn't believe at how grand everything was turning out to be tonight.

For the other team members this might have been a normal thing if not rare in terms of how big they had gone but to Skye, all this seemed to be _magical._ The gown, all her jewels including the heirloom comb, two limousines and a dashing partner to escort her to a mansion where they were about to hack into the city's most highly guarded security system in order to salvage top secret government documents which were being used to bribe several important diplomatic members as well as... if the rumors were true... a few of their own.

"This is quite exciting isn't it?" Jemma was definitely excited to be going into the field on an undercover mission, "Oh! Thank you." She had not expected the chauffeur of their limo to open the door for her and was pleasantly surprised when he smiled politely as she sat inside.

May and Skye joined Jemma in the first car while the boys would be following them in the other limo. Just before getting in after May, she rested her hand against the door and glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Coulson look up and meet her gaze. The two of them stood there for what must have been nothing more than a heartbeat of a second and yet to her, even if the whole night went by she wouldn't have noticed. It was only when he smiled and gave her a reassuring nod as if to say that things would be fine did Skye enter in and let the door close behind.

"Everything alright Skye?" May asked once they set off, she was seated opposite Skye which made it easier for her to observe the slightly distant look on the young woman's face.

"Skye?" Jemma poked her friend's shoulder when she noticed that she hadn't replied to May's question. "Did something happen?" The scientist did have a pretty good idea of what was on Skye's mind and figured maybe it was time to learn something new.

"Ow! Jemma...what was that for?" Skye's chain of thoughts were interrupted when she felt Jemma's finger poking on her skin. Rubbing the spot which was already sore, she glanced at her teammates and noticed that both women were grinning from ear to ear.

"We were just wondering where you had drifted off to... lost in thoughts about something? Or was it... _someone_?" Jemma teased as she debated whether or not to mention any names in front of May.

"What? No! No... I wasn't thinking about anyone Jemma!" Her reply was way too quick for it to sound believable and yet Skye didn't know if she should say anything else, not when she herself still remained unsure of what exactly she felt for Coulson. And surely neither May nor Jemma knew... did they?

"Hmm... could've fooled me." Leaning against the window, Jemma turned to face May and see if the other agent had something to say.

"That's a beautiful hair comb you have Skye... it looks lovely." Changing topics completely and yet staying on track with Jemma's teasing, May took the opportunity to indirectly talk about Coulson.

"Thanks..." Skye mumbled a response as she went on, "Its a secret recording device Fitz came up with, totally untraceable. At least I think so." She was confused; how was it that both May and Jemma seemed to want to discuss her love life... no... her lack of one.

"It won't be picked up on any scanners, I assure you. Fitz knows what he's doing. As for the comb itself, that was a gift from Agent Coulson wasn't it Skye?" Jemma made sure she stressed her friend's name, all the while trying not to giggle.

"Yes. It was." Skye managed to say and wanted to try and steer the conversation towards Fitz or Ward or Fitz _and_ Ward if she could, but just then a soft rap on the partition behind her and Jemma was heard.

"We're here." May said as she slipped into the Cavalry mode just then. The drive hadn't taken them very long from the Bus since the mansion they were headed to happened to be located on the outskirts of the city which was where they had landed that morning.

Skye instinctively raised her hand to finally touch the comb that was set in her hair, knowing it would help her feel calm. As soon as she stepped out of the limo, her eyes were met with a huge sprawling mansion that could only have been Victorian in style and built out of pure marble which stretched across the vast acres of land all around them into two wings. It was decorated with minimal lights that glittered under the moon and soft music could already be heard from inside; she took a deep breath as she observed the surroundings. This was their destination, they were all about to infiltrate the home of none other than... Daniel Quinn.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress Links for the ladies - 
> 
> 1\. Skye -http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IOzd_JvpaI/TdJyiw2UylI/AAAAAAAAMK0/dHveNP6kBpU/s1600/OliviaWildeinReemAcra.jpg
> 
> 2\. Jemma - http://static.tvgcdn.net/MediaBin/Galleries/Editorial/090105/GG09_Red_Carpet/2/gg09-anne-hathaway24.jpg
> 
> 3\. May - http://us.cdn281.fansshare.com/celebrity/ninadobrev/450_nina-dobrev-de-cronicas-vampiricas-en-los-premios-emmy-emmys-1633745238.jpg
> 
> And Coulson - http://fyeahclarkgregg.tumblr.com/post/63973185031


	5. Undercover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the main chapter of these 4, the first time Skye & Coulson go undercover together!!!

Standing at the entrance of the mansion that belonged to another of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemies and younger brother of Ian Quinn, Skye couldn't help but wonder if this undercover mission of theirs would be successful or not; she was well aware of the truth that all their jobs were risk-filled and dangerous but this just felt... downright scary, if Skye was being honest with herself. At least she knew the entire team was going to be there and being partnered with Coulson did make her fears lessen considerably. As if sensing her nervousness returning, the minute Coulson stepped out of the second limousine which pulled up behind moments ago, he immediately went to stand beside where she stood.

"Hey..." That soft familiar touch of his hand on her shoulder caused Skye to look away from the grandeur of everything and face him, "It's going to be okay Skye, all we have to do is slip in and out within the hour. The mission is safe, no one will get hurt and we'll be out of here in no time." Coulson knew that she was not used to undercover tasks like these, especially when most of the job rested on her shoulders but he believed in her and had assigned himself to be her partner so that he could have her back.

"Yeah, I know. I... I was just thinking about Quinn... the other one. My first meeting with Ian Quinn didn't go quite as pleasantly as we'd thought. Neither did the second time." She couldn't stop the involuntary shiver that went down her spine when she remembered the incident in Italy, trying to block everything out in vain. "And here I am again, about to meet Quinn Jr." Leaving the rest unsaid Skye knew she was worrying over this more than she needed to. "I'm just glad I'm not alone this time." She glanced up at Coulson when she said those last words to him.

"So am I... because if the rumors are believed to be true, then Daniel Quinn is actually more ruthless than his older brother and quite hard to control." His face didn't reveal anything to the young woman but Skye saw the emotion in his eyes, Coulson would protect her from him at all costs.

He knew that she was still shaken up over Ian Quinn shooting her and so was he; even though she made it clear he didn't have to blame himself for not being there to stop it, Skye had told him that he had saved her life which was more than she could have ever asked for. This mission wasn't easy for her and yet she knew how crucial and sensitive it was, even though it meant possibly having to face Daniel Quinn, she had agreed to taking on the majority of work since it all relied on hacking into the computer systems inside.

"We're all set." May stated as she and the others joined them, "Everyone has their identification cards and passports, each couple will go inside after a 30 second interval and meet up at the extraction point when the mission is complete."

"Do you remember your missions?" Coulson asked his team, each pair had been assigned specific sub-tasks to be carried out separately across the entirety of the mansion. The plan was to tackle the three wings and gather all possible data they could find.

Once they had quickly gone over the last checks, everyone split up since it had already been a few minutes since arriving there and more guests were starting to gather around. May and Ward went in through the gates first and made it inside without any trouble, Fitz and Simmons followed them after the thirty second wait which left Skye and Coulson.

"Are you ready?" Turning to face his partner, he saw that she was a lot calmer now. Seeing her nod, he offered his arm to her and together they walked towards the gates where they were met with the first wave of security.

"A.C. The invitations are in your jacket pocket." Skye whispered to him as they reached the bodyguard at the entrance. She knew there was only a few minutes left, it was time she got her act together with the backstory, personality and self-confidence she needed in order to pull off her character. From now, once they were inside it was all about making sure she remembered she wasn't Skye and Coulson wasn't A.C. to her.

"Right. Yes, thank you dear." Coulson smiled as he handed over the envelopes to the guard while still holding Skye's arm in his.

"You're all set sir, ma'am. Please proceed." The bodyguard, one of many stiff suits nodded as he let them pass through, the invitations were legitmate as far as he was concerned because their names did show up on the guest list.

It had been one of Skye's ingenious plans to remotely access the guest list the day they had landed here and make sure the computerized systems would see the fake identities and register them because technically, they were impersonating real people who were supposed to have canceled on the party several weeks earlier due to whatever commitments. Since no one's faces had actually been saved in the database it was easier to fake their entrance with whatever minimal resources they had.

Skye knew it was best never to turn around or glance in any direction like her training had taught her, this was a safe place no matter how many enemies S.H.I.E.L.D. possibly had, the only one they were concerned with didn't know who they were and she needed to act like she belonged in the company of these elite businessmen and their wives or in her case a girlfriend. Coulson hadn't said anything when she commented that her cover would not be as his wife unlike May and Ward who were taking the place of Quinn's long-time acquaintances who had been married for 5 years; Fitz and Simmons themselves thought it best to take up the option of being newly-weds, both of them well-renowned scientists in their respective fields and looking for a possible lucrative business proposition from the head of Quinn's business empire. This had left Skye with the option of being Coulson's much younger girlfriend, who seemed to everyone as being more interested in his money than the rich widower himself.

"Relax, we're almost in. Only one more check to get past." Coulson decided then that this formal appearance of walking inside with Skye wasn't going to work and so, just before coming up to the main doors where another security guard was posted, he let go of her arm and slid his hand down to intertwine his fingers in hers. "This is better." He smiled when he looked down to see Skye visibly brighten a little and settle into her role.

She didn't reply to him just then because they were ordered to present their passports along with business identification by the guard but Skye couldn't help but think to herself that this was a more _personal_ touch to their undercover relationship and Coulson's gesture had finally gotten her to believe that they both could do this if they were working together. She trusted him and knew that he trusted her, so there was no reason to worry about anything. As soon as the ping was registered in the machine that their I.D's were cleared, she let out a breath she'd been holding in and all her worries disappeared as once she stepped over the threshold and into the mansion at last.

"Thank you." Coulson said to the guard as he took back the passports and with Skye's hand in his, they were finally part of the crowd.

The interior of Daniel Quinn's house was even more glamorous than it was from the outside; there were huge crystal chandeliers in each room, the floor was covered in only the finest Turkish carpets of bright red and gold, all the walls were draped with rich silks and they were standing in the main central wing where the man of the hour himself was to be found. Skye couldn't help but admire the beauty all around her as she stared in awe at the decorations and realized that in spite of all the chandeliers, the mansion was lit up with every possible sort of antique lanterns, lamps and candelabra's that were scattered throughout. For a split second, her eye caught sight of Ward and May who had already started mingling with the other guests and seemed deep in conversation with some... French delegates, if their uniforms meant what she thought they did.

"We need to move. Everyone's starting to stare." Skye spoke softly as she tugged Coulson away from the doors and began walking towards the first place she spotted, an open bar. It was safe and ideal to meet other people and not stick out like two sore thumbs.

"Yes, okay. Lead the way." Coulson was resigned to follow Skye's lead if she knew what she was doing and figured where they were headed.

They had both barely walked ten feet when Skye made her first blunder of the night; she had been determined to get away from the limelight and had turned around to face Coulson when she had started walking, not noticing the tall figure of a man approaching them.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry. Are you hurt miss...?" The strong and concern filled voice reached Skye's ears when she bumped into someone.

"No. No, I... I'm okay. I should be saying sorry, it was my fault..." Skye started to apologize when she felt Coulson's hand squeeze hers and she quickly exchanged a glance with him and when she noticed the look on his face, met the gaze of this stranger she was talking to and almost fell back.

"That's quite alright. We both were in the wrong. I don't believe I've had the pleasure..." The man extended his hand out to Skye who didn't take it.

"The pleasure is all ours." Coulson chimed in as he shook hands, "Clark Gregg, and this is Chloe Bennet. My girlfriend. Its an honor to finally meet you Mr. Quinn." Putting on a smile and hoping that their covers weren't already blown.

"Daniel. Please, call me Daniel. And likewise Clark, its so good to finally make your acquaintance. Do you know, its taken me a very long time to get you here, I had to go through a lot of channels to finally contact your office and then would you know it, your secretary told me you were off abroad! I wasn't sure you'd make it back in time for my little event tonight." Daniel Quinn didn't seem to have noticed Skye's sudden silence as he greeted Coulson and began talking to him.

"Well what can I say, Chloe wanted to go on a cruise and it was quite some time since we'd taken a trip together." Coulson still had his hand in Skye's but at this point wondered if it would have been better if he just wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her closer. "I did get your message though, came in through last week and I could hardly refuse a personal invitation from you. So we took the next flight out here and decided to get some sight-seeing done while in town."

"Wonderful! That's simply wonderful." Daniel finally turned his attention to Skye who was trying to look everywhere in the room but at him. "So... Chloe, I hope it's alright if I call you Chloe? How do you like the city of Monaco? Its beautiful isn't it?"

"Oh! Yes. Yes, it is." Skye replied politely as she dared a glance in his direction. Truthfully, it was Coulson's light and gentle squeezes that were helping her get through this even though she knew that the mission was more important than her ridiculous fears about Quinn Jr.

"Well, how about a drink? Would you like to get something Clark?" Daniel asked as he started walking towards the bar, motioning for them to follow him.

"I'll take a glass of scotch. On the rocks." Coulson answered as he led Skye behind him, "And a margarita for Chloe." He added, knowing she wouldn't really drink anything. Her nerves were already jangled up on meeting Quinn and she needed to be focused for her task ahead.

"Perfect." Rubbing his hands together and stopping only for a few seconds to greet his other guests, Daniel seemed to be focusing his attention solely on the two of them for now. He even introduced a few important people to the pair and continued to talk to Coulson for the next several minutes after handing him and Skye their drinks. "To you Clark, for finding someone as _gorgeous_ as Chloe." He raised his glass of scotch and winked at her.

"Cheers to you." Coulson obviously had noticed the not-so-subtle attempts that Daniel Quinn was making towards Skye and knew it was time they got away from him. "Ah! Chloe... is that Elizabeth over there?" He nudged her shoulder and gestured to no one in particular but knew that the name would get Daniel's attention.

"I think it is. She's with Iain isn't she?" Skye realized that instead of them leaving abruptly, Coulson was basically pointing out to Daniel Quinn that there were more important people to talk to.

Surely enough, as soon as he heard Elizabeth's name, Daniel turned around to look in the direction they were indicating and immediately excused himself as he muttered something about needing to meet Mrs. De Caestecker on a matter of his new science division, leaving behind his empty drink glass. It took a few minutes until Quinn was out of sight from them and only then did Skye groan inwardly as she absent-mindedly rested her head on Coulson's shoulder but snapped back up when she realized what she had done, trying to compose herself and not blush. Under no circumstances was she going to blush.

"That was horrible." She complained, "I am so sorry, I know I should have been better at this and behaved like a proper lady. This is not how things were supposed to go and... I mean..." Skye started to ramble as she talked, still holding the glass in her hand.

"You were good, Chloe. Trust me." Coulson had been briefly startled for a second when he felt Skye's forehead on his shoulder, even though they were supposed to be an undercover couple, he hadn't expected her to... and just when he was about to do something, she had almost jumped back and he felt his fingers slipping away from hers. "I know that was unexpected to just meet Quinn within minutes of walking in, but you didn't mess anything up so don't apologize." He could have said more but wondered if he needed to.

"Let's go dance." Was all Skye said, "Look, all the other guests are headed inside the drawing room where the music is coming from. There's still time." She added, as Coulson checked his watch; they were on a schedule and knew when the time to make their move would be.

"How about we see if Iain and Elizabeth are still busy talking to our charitable host." Coulson figured it would be less stressful for Skye if she knew that Daniel Quinn wasn't going to be following them to the dance floor.

"Good point." Skye nodded and was grateful to see Coulson holding his hand for her, she had noticed when they inadvertently had broken apart only moments ago and missed the warmth of his touch.

It was the only thing that could comfort her and keep all the nerves at bay; the difference between both the Quinn brother's hopefully extended to as far as them being physically out of touch with each other in terms of Daniel Quinn not being so quick to pull out a gun on them if things went south and their covers were blown.

"We'll be fine. He doesn't suspect a thing and he won't realize what we've done once its over." Coulson didn't need to be a mind reader to know that Skye was still thinking about Daniel Quinn's instant attention towards her and was wondering if they would be able to see this mission to the end.

"I guess you're right. I'll be better prepared the next time he decides to come around and talk to us again." Skye knew that all her personal ties to the mission would likely endanger not only herself and Coulson but all her friends as well who were counting on her.

"I know you will." It wasn't just something Coulson said to Skye because he thought she needed to hear that right now, but because if he had his way, he would always remind Skye of how special she was even when she knew it herself.

Together they made their way towards the other wing of Quinn's house where they saw that FitzSimmons were still in deep conversation with him; somehow Jemma had managed to slip into her role in a half-decent way that seemed a better improvement than her last attempt at going undercover but even there, Fitz was making sure that the talks were balanced out. Coulson was more busy observing Skye as she saw her friends seem to be at ease in their roles since they remained scientists after all; he saw the determination in her eyes to let go of all thoughts of what happened with Ian Quinn and stay focused on the mission at hand and surmised the best way to help her feel more relaxed was to get her on the dance floor. Sure enough, several moments later the two of them were inside the drawing room gathered with all the other guests there; the music had finally settled on something more suitable for everyone and soon pretty much every couple in the room found themselves in the center of the big open floor where they slowly began to waltz, one after the other. Skye had taken up her position on one side of the hall with the other women there and curtsied to her partner when the song started to play before finding herself dancing comfortably and in sync with Coulson.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly once they had found their rhythm, dancing with Skye was quite possible the easiest thing he had to do that night.

"Yes, much better now. Thanks." Skye did feel relieved to be here, actually getting the opportunity to really dance with Coulson for the first time in front of all these people; there were no butterflies, no thoughts of sweaty palms and even her feelings for him seemed settled internally tonight.

"You're welcome. I guess those dancing lessons finally paid off." Coulson grinned as he twirled her around once and caught her perfectly without any stumbles.

"Well it did help that I had a wonderful teacher." She smiled back as they continued to dance, completely oblivious to all the other couples around them, the only thing Skye knew was that she was here dancing with Coulson and actually enjoying herself. "And he did let me in on a little secret once." Remembering that moment back in his office when he had whispered something in her ear, Skye visibly brightened more as the music went on.

"Oh really? What secret would that be?" Not surprised that she would remember his comment about waltzing, Coulson still wanted to hear her say it.

"The key to a good waltz... is to pick the perfect partner, someone who knows what he's doing. And the rest, just falls into place." Skye repeated his words to her and even though she felt the blush on her neck, she didn't break eye contact with him.

"Or she." Coulson added in all sincerity, "You are a natural at this and I'm sure you would be perfectly capable of leading this dance." He knew that they both had enough time for only this first dance but wondered if he would ever get another chance like this with her.

"Another mission, another dance maybe." This time it was Skye who seemed to have read Coulson's mind as she let a tiny giggle escape from her lips, "Not necessarily undercover in the middle of nowhere though." She elaborated and thought to herself if it was always going to be a mission requirement for them to dance.

"We don't need to wait for a mission. There's always something happening at the headquarters or the academy, I'm sure you'll get another chance sooner." Coulson reassured her.

"Is that where you learned how to dance? At the academy?" Hearing him talk about the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy, Skye couldn't help but wonder if that was where he had been trained in all these different dance forms.

"Yes. And before you ask, I wasn't always this good. In fact, I remember being a terrible dancer." Coulson remembered all those memories vividly as if they had happened just yesterday.

"What changed then?" Skye was very interested now, she hadn't heard Coulson talk a lot about his past life at S.H.I.E.L.D. before the New York attack and always imagined him being naturally good at everything he did.

"Maria took it upon herself to start teaching me every single day for hours on end and then sometimes I would practice dancing with Melinda." First names were safer to use in their current surroundings, "It took me a few weeks but eventually I did get there." Coulson finished as he smiled at that thought.

"And ever since then you've never danced a lot have you?" It wasn't meant to come out like a question but Skye had a feeling her hunch was correct.

"No, not as much as I thought I would have to." Coulson admitted, before continuing, "I did however get a once in a lifetime chance to dance with Pepper though."

Hearing him mention Pepper Potts' name, Skye couldn't help but stare at him wide-eyed, almost forgetting that they were at the end of their dance. As soon as the last notes of the music came to an end, she was determined to find out more about what Coulson had just told her; they had only a few minutes left before Daniel Quinn made his entrance, there was a big speech he had to give just then and that was to be their signal to head out and get started on their mission at last. This, however was still important to Skye.

"You've... you've danced with Pepper Potts?" Skye whispered as softly as she could, dragging Coulson to the far end of the room, close to the doors and still surrounded by other people. "As in, Tony Stark's _Pepper Potts_?" She asked again, not sure she believed what she had heard.

"Yes. Of course I have, you look surprised." Coulson was a little puzzled and amused to see Skye reacting this way.

"Wow. That's... amazing... Clark." Skye didn't forget that she wasn't supposed to call him A.C or even Phil by accident over here, "I... just... I didn't know... you don't mention anything about..." She had briefly thought about shutting up before saying something with the word 'Avengers' in it but Coulson caught on to what she meant and gave her a half smile.

"I know. I don't talk a lot about my life before what happened in New York; this is hardly the time or place to start. I'll tell you more about it later if you'd like." Coulson replied honestly, if there was anyone he could ever trust himself to open up to, it was Skye.

"What about... them?" Skye was still curious, she knew that Coulson's death was what brought the Avengers together but it had already been two years since then and she wanted to know if they were still in the dark. "Do they... know about you... or is it a secret?"

"I think that's a question best saved for later as well." He wanted to tell Skye everything, then and there, but since they were on a time-limited schedule and he had just seen Quinn entering the hall, Coulson figured it was time they left.

As if on cue, once the guests started applauding their host who made his way to the podium that had been erected on the opposite end of where Skye and Coulson were, Daniel Quinn was about to make his speech. Exchanging a silent look with each other and knowing that the other two pairs were going to get to work as well, Skye and Coulson quietly slipped through the doors and headed towards the entrance they had come in from. The mansion was eerily deserted as literally all the hundred or so guests were all gathered in one room, including the bodyguards; the only people wandering about the hallways were the waiters and chefs but since Skye and Coulson were in the main central wing of the house, they didn't have to worry. Their destination was the first floor master bedroom where Quinn's main computer systems were located.

"Let's go. The sooner we get to his room, the faster we can finish this off." Coulson whispered as he took Skye's hand in his and stuck to the walls that were shadowy and dark enough to hide their faces; once they reached the grand staircase it was only a minute and a half since their timers had started counting down.

"There!" Skye pointed to an unguarded room once they reached the first floor of the house; it was locked but not impenetrable. "Do you have what we need?" She asked Couslon as he approached the doorway, checking the corridor once again to be sure they were alone.

"I have it. This will work." Coulson raised his hand to the machine installed in the wall next to the door, it was a fingerprint scanner and since Quinn had been kind enough to leave his glass behind when he had gone to speak to FitzSimmons, Coulson had easily been able to swipe off a thumb-print with his latex covered skin, one useful item per team member was all they needed.

Skye nodded as she waited for the machine to register the thumb-print as Daniel Quinn's and once the green light showed up, she opened the door and stepped inside waiting for Coulson to follow her before closing it again. This was it; they were inside Quinn's bedroom where the mainframe of his entire business, personal and private computers was stored inside one single laptop located on his desk in the center of the room. Knowing they had only ten minutes or so, Skye immediately got to work once she took Coulson's pair of gloves from inside his jacket; while she began the hack to access all of the personnel files she could find, Coulson stayed in the room with her but close to the door in order to keep an eye out in case someone came this way.

"How much time do we have?" Skye asked him once the decoding process began, she didn't need to do anything but access all the files related to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the device in her hair comb would do the rest.

"Seven minutes, plus another five if May and Ward finish up their search first and make it back to Quinn in time to keep him distracted." As long as he didn't show up before their time was up then both Skye and Coulson as well as FitzSimmons, who were on the other side of the house hacking in to another system simultaneously, would be safe.

"Its going to be a close call. The data needs 10 minutes to finish transferring and I still haven't found everything." Glancing up to see what Coulson's orders were, she saw him give her a single nod telling her to begin.

Reaching up to touch one of the sapphires which held the recording device, Skye made sure the hair comb was still in place. As long as it was within 50 feet of the computers, she didn't even have to remove it. Knowing that there was nothing more to do but wait, she took the chance to sit down on the office chair and watched the progress on the screen in front of her. Somehow, in spite of all the fumbles and stumbles she had made when coming face to face with Quinn and freezing up, they had still managed to get here without being discovered and had finally found the files on S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as several other important agencies that Skye hadn't even heard of. Coulson was still standing guard when the alarm in his watch went off; their twelve minutes were almost up.

"Skye." He wasn't sure if he had just heard voices on the staircase below them but something was definitely wrong. "Are we done yet?" Coulson knew better than to let his tone worry her, if Quinn was headed their way then they had to leave before he reached this floor.

"Almost. It's stuck on 95% right now. We need only a few more minutes." Skye watched as the number began to slowly increase from 95.1 to 95.2 and so on; she knew it was too slow.

"We may have a problem in less than a few minutes." Coulson finally closed the door as he stepped away and walked over to the desk where Skye now stood.

"What are we going to do? There won't be enough time to escape." Knowing there was no point in freaking out over this, Skye took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Coulson didn't answer her immediately as he chose to look around the bedroom for the first time, trying to gauge if there was something there that they could use. Almost instantly, his eyes fell on the curtains that had been draped across the giant french windows and knew what they needed to do.

"Follow me." It was pointless to try and escape from the main door that they had walked through but if the windows were open then it would lead them to the balcony.

"It's done." Skye said as she quickly turned the laptop off and closed the flap; the transfer had finally finished, but she was too late. Just as she crossed around the desk to run towards the curtains, the door pinged open as the scanner was unlocked and the knob began to turn; Daniel Quinn was about to walk inside in the next second.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was wondering who Daniel Quinn is, I decided to use Tahmoh Penikett for this character (Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Castle, Supernatural.)


	6. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last of 4 directly linked chapters, and while the title says 'Jealousy' it could also be seen as 'Anger' or maybe just 'Undercover Part II' since I'm not quite sure I got the emotion down right!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to mention something to get an idea of the timeline: everything that happens takes place after "Yes, Men" but has its own story which is not following the show at all. I'm not anti-Ward but not a fan either... even so I won't be writing him 'bad' in this story cause I don't really write negative characters. So whoever doesn't want to read his character as being 'good' can stop reading this story. Those who don't mind, expect May/Ward from this point forward.

Standing frozen in the middle of Quinn's bedroom, Skye didn't dare to breathe as a dozen different thoughts flooded through her mind; she needed to figure out a way out of this without compromising anything about the mission. However, before she could get even one idea formed, Skye found herself being pulled out of the bright lights and into darkness. Coulson had come back to grab her arm and hide themselves behind the curtains together; he noticed that she was a little out of breath but still holding herself composed. His arms had found her waist and she was holding onto his jacket trying not to make a noise. These few seconds seemed to be a respite for them since the voices they could barely hear from outside the room suggested that Daniel Quinn was still talking to someone else. Whatever happened next, the two of them needed to figure it out fast and get away before they were caught.

"Skye..." Coulson started to whisper as he looked down at the woman in his arms, hoping she had a brilliant idea of slipping out the french doors which were open while not attracting anyone's attention to the swaying of these ridiculously long curtains.

This time, without any hesitation or second thoughts, Skye reached up to hush him when she placed a finger on his lips. The two of them locked gazes in that moment and they almost forgot the imminent danger they'd found themselves in; for a heartbeat it was just Skye and Coulson standing there in the closest of close proximities they could ever be in, both of them half-breathless and thinking of nothing else but wanting time to stand still for as long as they wished. Their daze was broken when they finally heard the room door open and slam shut almost instantly; Quinn was inside. And so were they. Eyes widening as she realized they probably had only a few seconds before being discovered, Skye made the decision for them as she gestured for Coulson to move towards the windows; it wasn't the best plan she could have come up with but it was one they were going with. As soon as Coulson realized that she was backing away from the hiding place behind these curtains he knew what she was about to do and he grabbed her hand again.

"Is someone there?" Daniel had just finished making himself a drink from his private bar and turned around to see the curtains flutter slightly. Frowning, he stood up and decided he should check it out.

Shaking her head and trying to reassure Coulson that she would be okay, she pointed to the windows again. This time, he relented and slowly began to inch himself towards the only escape route they had. Before he left Skye alone though, Coulson reached out a hand to her hair and gently removed the hair comb to tuck it inside his jacket. Just before Skye revealed herself though, the two of them exchanged a hurried glance and when she saw him nod to her the same way he had done when they were at the limousines, she felt that she could pull this off. Hopefully. Without giving away anything or breaking cover. Taking a deep breath and bracing herself to come face to face with Daniel Quinn once more, Skye stepped out from behind the curtains.

"Chloe?" Looking at the young woman who stood in front of him, Daniel paused momentarily wondering what was going on. "What are you doing here? And how did you get in?" His suspicions were raised enough to realize that she had broken through his secure locked bedroom only to hide behind the curtains when he walked in.

"Oh! Mr. Quinn... I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize where I was..." Glancing around the room as if realizing where she really was, Skye hoped this would work and she could sell her idea, no matter how lame it sounded. "I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. The guards told me that the powder room was the first room on the left from the staircase."

"The powder room is the first room on the _right._ " He corrected her, if she was lying to him then she wasn't doing a very good job of it. "You still didn't answer my question; how did you get inside here. This room is locked at all times and can be accessed only by me." Daniel walked towards Skye, closing the distance between them in a few short strides.

"Really? I... I had no idea. The room, it wasn't... locked when I came in. The door had been left open and I... I thought, I didn't know this was your room." Skye wondered if she was over-selling herself with the hesitant replies and pauses but decided to go with it, hoping that Quinn had been distracted by her presence long enough for Coulson to escape without any detection.

"Unlocked you say?" Now he knew that she was lying, but decided that since he couldn't figure out what a girl like Chloe would want from here, he decided not to let her realize anything. "I suppose I should go and see my security about this matter; we can't have a breach now can we?" It was getting really hard to keep his eyes off her, since she was alone _and_ in his room... maybe they could finally get a chance to themselves now.

"R... Right." Skye stammered as she noticed that Quinn seemed to believe her story but having him standing so close to her was getting stifling, she needed to move.

Unfortunately since she was still standing near the curtains, Skye ended up walking back into the wall while she spoke and mentally whacked herself for not realizing that Quinn would obviously follow her. He was definitely relentless and the moment he reached inches away from her face, she turned away, not daring to look him in the eyes; but he wasn't about to let her go so easily. Casually resting one hand against the wall near her waist, Quinn pinned one arm effectively trapping her there. He then raised his free hand to her shoulder and softly trailed his fingers down her soft skin, smirking to himself when she snapped her eyes shut, whoever Chloe was, she certainly proved to be an interesting challenge.

"Chloe..." He lowered his head to her cheek and brushed his lips across her ear as she shivered with the touch, "Tell me why you're really here." A little teasing beforehand was never a bad thing and Daniel wanted to savor every moment of this opportunity that had presented itself.

For a moment, Skye nearly buckled down when she figured out what Quinn was trying to do, but she wasn't about to let him win. Not against her. Not after his brother had already taken the chance from her hand the last time they'd met each other. There was too much at stake now and she needed to stay focused on the mission. The team was counting on her. _Coulson_ was counting on her. As soon as she remembered him, remembered his unwavering belief in her to see this through, Skye's eyes snapped open and she knew what needed to be done; there was no way Daniel Quinn was going to get anything from her. She just prayed that Coulson was safe and back inside the party by now, given what she was about to do, Skye didn't want to remember anything after it was all over.

Feeling the hand next to her waist grasping a tight hold, Skye glanced up and met his hard stare at last as she let herself smile just then, a small playful tug of her lips was all it took for him to be momentarily disarmed.

"Do you really want to know, _Daniel_?" She knew that sultry voice from her dream self was impossible to duplicate but she was definitely getting the hang of sounding as... seductive as she could get. Using his first name now was a bonus as she stressed on that one word.

"Yes. I would like to know, Chloe." While he had been slightly surprised to see her stand up to take charge, Daniel realized that this was probably the real Chloe he was about to meet.

"I came here... on purpose... because... I was... looking for you." Removing her hand from his hold she stepped forward as she placed it on his chest. "Your room was really unlocked, but I was definitely _not_ looking for anywhere else to be." There was no way she was going to admit to breaking past his scanner without implicating Coulson and since hers were the only fingerprints around, Quinn had to believe what she was telling him.

Raising an eyebrow when he heard her confession, Quinn couldn't help but chuckle as he understood what she was implying; this was her plan, Chloe wanted to be alone with him after all. There wasn't enough time just then, he still had guests to attend to and wrap up the party soon, but perhaps he could persuade her into staying for the after-party; with just the two of them.

"I must say... I'm impressed Chloe. Your acting is almost perfect; here I thought you were just a shy and quiet girl, but you're much more than that. You're bold. I like it." He really wanted to get her alone for good without having hundreds of people waiting around, but maybe... until then, he could still use this opportunity to gain something else from her.

"What can I say, it's all about adapting to the situations I find myself in." The two of them had stopped in the middle of the room and just as Skye made up her mind to drop the hand that was on his chest, he wrapped his hand around hers, keeping it there.

"So it's true then... all those rumors about you." Daniel knew he was probably wasting his time talking to Chloe but he was too curious not to know more, "You're not really here for Clark are you? It's all about his money isn't it?"

Once Skye heard Coulson's name, she briefly lost track of where she was supposed to be going with this pretense of being a much bolder version of herself. There was no use in trying to worry about him, she knew that he was probably waiting for her to get away from Quinn as soon as it was possible, but first things first, she needed to get him out of the room.

"What do you think?" Slipping back into Chloe was getting easier for her now, "I'm not with him now am I?" She added, dropping her voice lower but maintained her eye contact with Quinn.

"That is true... but I'm not sure what to think of you. Yet." Daniel replied, enjoying this back and forth with Chloe, she was definitely different than any other girls he'd met while living in Monaco and even when he traveled abroad.

"Well, why don't you let me help you change your thoughts then?" Brightening her smile this time around, Skye wondered how exactly she would go about getting him to leave the room with her when she was sure he probably didn't want to leave at all.

"I thought you'd never ask." This was the time, "Let's go downstairs and have a dance, then maybe we can discuss how else you can help me change my opinion of you." Quinn drawled as he took both her hands in his and pulled her in so that she almost fell into his arms.

"And how exactly... do you propose we do that?" Skye felt the breath get knocked out of her when she found herself being trapped in his hold on her lower waist, trying to stay focused.

"Stay until the after-party. I promise you it'll be a night you won't ever forget." His breath was hot on her face but it didn't make her feel anything except disgust to have him invading her personal space and getting so unbearably close.

"After-party?" Confused for a moment, Skye didn't catch on what he was trying to tell her but at least he had started to lead her towards the door, once she reached the party things would change for Quinn a lot, but not in the ways he was thinking.

"It's private and reserved only for my special guest." He smiled at her as he finally let go of her but slid his arm around her waist, "You."

"I wouldn't want to miss it for anything." Glancing up at him to be sure she sold her answer, Skye started to wonder if there would be a way to stop the revulsion building within her for the man stuck to her; she couldn't go on much longer.

As they walked out of Quinn's bedroom together, Skye couldn't help herself as she finally dared to look behind her shoulder and got a glimpse of a shadow outside the windows on the balcony. Coulson. He had been there all along. And now, as she headed back to the party, he remained where he stood rooted to the spot; hands clenched into tight fists and a look of wonder on his face.

The moment Skye had stepped through the curtains and revealed herself to Daniel Quinn, he had immediately walked through the french doors and onto the balcony where, after a quick observation of his surroundings, figured that if he had to jump to get back down, he'd get to that later. His first and most important priority was Skye; even though he knew her well enough to trust whatever plan she came up with, he couldn't help but stay behind to make sure that everything went okay - after all that had happened tonight with Quinn earlier and knowing her fears about being around the man, Coulson needed to be there for her because they had been through so much together over the last several months that he couldn't just leave his partner behind. If there was one thing he was certain of it was that; he considered Skye to be someone more than just an agent on his team, they weren't simply partners on this mission, there was no one he believed in more than her, not even himself because she had taught him to see the world they lived in differently and now when she was holding her own inside that room, Coulson would not rush in to mess things up but he wouldn't wait for her downstairs either.

And so, standing to one side away from the windows as he leaned against the marble walls, Coulson remained vigilant as he saw everything unfolding in front of his eyes - the way Quinn stalked Skye, going after her like she was some sort of prey to him, watching Skye get a hold of the situation as she flipped the tables around on Quinn, the subtle teasing that they exchanged and finally seeing them walk away to return back to the party. All the while he had not moved once because he knew Skye could handle herself around a man like Quinn; but in spite of that, Coulson didn't realize when the anger that was building up inside of himself started to claw its way to the surface and he had to clench his fists shut to stop himself from going after Quinn. He needed to calm down and think clearly, the mission was still at stake. Images of Quinn touching Skye and knowing she couldn't do anything but to let him believe her lies flooded his mind and Coulson couldn't control this unfounded feelings for much longer.

"Damn it!" He sweared under his breath as he punched the wall before sighing deeply. "Skye..." Given all that she had done to save both herself and him from being caught in Quinn's room together, Coulson couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride towards her; she had managed to trick and partially seduce the man without him realizing what was really going on.

Their work was not finished just yet though. Even if Coulson held the information stored in Skye's hair comb, there was one last thing that they all had to accomplish; leave the party unnoticed, without raising anyone's or Quinn's suspicions even more. He knew that this would be tricky now but not impossible; once he regrouped with Skye then they could work out a quick getaway idea. However, the main thing was getting her out of Quinn's grasp and safe with the other team members. Crossing over to the edge of balcony and leaning over the railing, Coulson determined that the drop would be at least ten feet from the first floor down; he'd done this many times before but just as he decided it was safe enough to attempt a jump, he spotted a couple walking in the gardens below the balcony.

"Great, now what?" He thought out loud to himself as he backed away trying to stay out of sight; it had been unlikely to be completely sure that the grounds behind would stay deserted once Quinn had finished his big speech, and now Coulson was most likely stranded while Skye was still on her own, possibly waiting for him.

Thinking of checking the bedroom once again, Coulson started to make his way back towards the french doors when he noticed something; the far side of this balcony stretched on beyond the master bedroom. This meant that the other rooms were also connected and could be empty but unlocked. Without wasting any more time, he ran over to the farthest corner and spotted another set of french doors which were shut but not locked up and the room beyond looked more like a storage facility than anything since it was filled with boxes and furniture and paintings among other things, all of them covered with sheets. Jumping inside, Coulson made his way for the door and breathed a sigh of relief when it yanked open with ease; the corridor was still unguarded and he could hear the music already. Forcing his anger aside for the moment, he made his way carefully past the various rooms on the floor and when he reached the carpeted staircase, it was only minutes now before he would find Skye. To his surprise however, the second his feet touched the last step, Coulson found himself face to face with someone he did not expect to see here tonight; a tall woman dressed in a black velvet gown with her brunette hair tied up and the tell-tale pursed lips as she waited for Coulson. If it wasn't for the bright red streak in her hair, he might have needed to double check and be sure it was really her, without the spectacles he wouldn't have guessed.

"Victoria? What do you think you're doing here?" He whispered as she silently offered her hand for him to take, which he did and began to lead her towards the main hall. Of all the people they could send in, S.H.I.E.L.D. decided on Victoria Hand.

"I'm leading the second team in. Didn't Agent Blake fill you in on that earlier this week?" Ever so formal and stiff, it was quite unexpected for Coulson to see her undercover, even if it was just barely.

"He did. I just wasn't aware you were going to be leading the team, field agents are usually in charge of that duty. And you don't do undercover as far as I know." Coulson may not have been pleased to see her there but was relieved that backup had arrived already.

"Yes well, it seems to me that your team was successful in retrieving the information we needed. In spite of the fact that you failed to get everyone out in time and to the extraction point, which is why we had to come in regardless. It's time to wrap this up." Blunt and directly to the point, Victoria didn't even meet Coulson's stare as they entered the drawing room where he had been dancing with Skye only a little while ago.

"There was a tiny complication in the _escape_ plan but I was on my way to fix it." He explained to her while searching the room for Skye and spotting her in the center, with Daniel Quinn.

The music had shifted from an instrumental waltz to something more... romantic, if that was the right word and as Coulson watched Quinn holding Skye in his arms swaying with her to the song, those feelings of seething rage threatened to break through once again; he didn't understand what was happening to him but watching Skye being used like this was incomprehensible to him. He might have taken more time than anticipated to get to her but now that he was here, she didn't have to deal with this any longer; before he could move to go to her, Victoria stopped him with a completely offhand and unnecessary comment.

"So that was the complication." She stated as she too observed Skye with Daniel Quinn, "The way they're dancing together, its no wonder the entire room has fallen silent. Everyone seems to be jealous of them; but that's not going to last very long. Get your agent out of here before we make the arrest." Victoria ordered Coulson, not realizing that her words were affecting him more than they should have.

Not needing to be told the same thing twice, Coulson strode across the floor to where Quinn and Skye were ending their dance; for a split second he debated whether he should just pull her out of there without a word or continue to play the polite role of Clark Gregg but as soon as he saw Skye look up to meet his gaze and saw the utterly complete relief in her eyes, he knew there was no need to make a choice. Within seconds, she had excused herself away from Quinn and nearly ran over to where he stood. This time, Coulson didn't hesitate before gently placing his arm around her waist as they silently agreed that it was done.

"Thank you." She said softly to him as they started to walk away, knowing the other guests and Daniel Quinn himself were staring at the two of them but she didn't care anymore, her role as Chloe Bennet was over at last. Coulson had come for her and it was time to leave.

"It's been a long night." He wondered to himself if Skye wanted to talk about what she had just gone through but knew that it all could wait until they got back to the Bus.

Skye didn't reply back as she had finally started to feel the events of these last two hours getting to her; all she could think of was having Coulson by her side as they started to make their way towards the limousines. She enjoyed the feeling of his hand on her waist and couldn't help herself as she leaned in and rested her head on his chest. Hearing the sigh of content in her voice, Coulson didn't say anything else to her as they walked past Victoria Hand who was now standing with Agent Blake by her side and noticed the rest of his team were already heading out of the mansion. Whatever happened to Daniel Quinn after this wasn't important to him; a report from HQ would probably find its way to him stating that he had been arrested and deported to the Fridge or taken in for questioning beforehand, Coulson could care less about all that. The only thing on his mind was the woman next to him, Skye had gone above and beyond to make this mission a success just as FitzSimmons, May and Ward had done as well. It was finished now and maybe there would be a chance for him to figure out just what his feelings were trying to tell him; one thing he had figured out as soon as they reached their destination, all the anger and rage and other inexplicable emotions he'd experienced earlier had vanished the moment Skye had clasped her hands in his.

 


	7. First Hug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now we're moving on to the more exciting chapters starting off with a proper Skye/Coulson hug!

The plush carpet was soft beneath his feet as Coulson continued to pace up and down in his office, having lost count of how long he'd been at this hours ago; the only thing on his mind was... confusion. A lot of confusion that he still couldn't make heads or tails of and that in turn was starting to get slightly frustrating. Pausing in his tracks to lean against the desk, Coulson folded his arms as he started to think about what exactly it was that he needed to figure out - the emotions of anger were already on his mind but there was something else he seemed to be missing. When the team had returned back to the Bus from their mission, Skye had bid him goodnight and turned in along with the others and even though he initially had decided on the same course, after changing into something more comfortable than his formal suit and laying down in bed, it wasn't long after that did he realize sleep was going to evade him; all these thoughts were scattered across his mind and he couldn't help remember everything that had happened in Quinn's bedroom when he had left Skye to see her plan through alone. And so he'd come away here to the office, hoping that if he could figure out what was going on with his feelings maybe he could get some rest.

Closing his eyes as he thought back to those moments out on the balcony when he observed all the events that took place inside the room, he hadn't been able to hear either of them say anything but from their actions he had surmised what was going on; in his attempts to try and seduce Skye, the younger Quinn brother hadn't realized when the hacker had caught on and flipped the situation completely so that she was the one pretending to seduce him. The entire act did work out in the end as it had let Skye and Quinn reach the drawing room once again where they danced and remained distracted enough until Agent Victoria Hand came in with Agent Felix Blake to tie up the loose ends.

_"The way they're dancing together... Everyone seems to be jealous of them."_ Those were the words that Victoria had spoken  out loud to Coulson just before he'd gone to Skye.

And that was what he had been missing, Coulson realized it now when his eyes snapped open on remembering this; jealous was the exact word that she'd used and it explained everything that he was really feeling. Apart from all that anger which coursed through his veins the moment he saw Quinn lay his hands on Skye, there was also jealousy that he had experienced.

"But why?" He said out loud as a frown form across his brow, standing up and rubbing his head trying to make sense of what he'd just learned. He had been jealous... but... of what? And why?

A tiny but incessant beeping noise from somewhere behind him broke through the reverie of incoherent thoughts as he turned around to pick up the alarm clock on his desk; it wasn't that old compared to most of his belongings surrounding him but using a real digital clock was better than a cell phone. _Skye._ Recalling that night he had met her at the bar almost a week ago while she was working on the mission details, he had made hot chocolate for the two of them and when she hadn't noticed the froth on her lips, Coulson had reached out to wipe it off with his finger... but their moment had been interrupted with her alarm... and now, his thoughts about this jealousy he'd experienced tonight seemed to be connected to Skye. Seeing his partner dancing with Daniel Quinn had brought about those feelings again but he also knew that when she was with him as they left the party together, the jealousy and anger both seemed to dissipate. What was going on with him he didn't know but what he did know was that in almost every common circumstance that anyone faced in their lives, _jealousy_ was a factor that came into play when there were feelings involved. Romantic feelings.

As soon as the idea of 'romantic feelings' crossed his mind, he wasn't thinking about a lot just then but he knew that he was thinking of Skye and if... no... it wasn't possible. Or it was, but if that turned out to be the case... he couldn't be sure... was it all because of last night? And if he thought about Skye, did it mean that she also... or did she just see him as who he had always been to her all this time... nothing more. Coulson sighed deeply; this wasn't making any sense at all and things were continuing to get more complicated and less easier to understand. Glancing at the clock, he saw that the time read quarter past 6 in the morning; without his knowing, he'd ended up staying awake all night long either walking around in the office or sitting behind the desk spinning a pen while his mind strayed to their mission. The one thing he was certain of at this very minute was that he definitely could use a cup of steaming hot coffee to help him get his nerves settled since it wasn't possible for them to be more _un-_ settled than they were already and it would also be an excuse to get out and stretch his legs with a long walk on the Bus. With that plan in mind and believing that May was still in the cockpit while his team slept soundly, Coulson left his office and began heading towards the kitchen; it just so happened that he had to pass by the bunks on his way there and unexpectedly almost bumped into Simmons who had chosen that precise second to open her door and peek outside.

"Oh! Agent Coulson. Good morning." Jemma was slightly surprised to see her boss wide awake at such an early hour, "I didn't know anyone else was awake sir." She added to him as she started to ramble slightly.

"Good morning to you too, Agent Simmons. Is the rest of the team up already?" He asked her, wondering why today of all days the entire Bus had to be filled before the sun had properly risen.

"No. No, we're all still asleep actually. I'm a bit of a light sleeper as I did hear Agent May going to her bunk a little while ago but just now I did hear someone shuffling around... from Skye's room and so I got up to see if everything was alright." Trying to hide her yawn from Coulson, Jemma looked at him sheepishly wondering what his reaction would be.

"Skye? I was planning on going to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee for myself, maybe she's there as well. I should probably go and check on her. You get some rest Jemma, we still have a couple more hours before reaching back home." Coulson did not seem taken aback with surprise to hear that Skye was awake, but rather to Jemma it appeared as if he sort of anticipated as much.

"Yes sir, I'll see you later." Deciding it was best to let him find Skye as soon as he could and talk to her, Jemma quietly went back inside her bunk and closed the door when she saw her boss leaving.

Whatever had happened at the mansion last night, she'd observed Skye's silence on the drive back to the Bus along with Agent May but neither of them asked her for details because they knew perfectly well that their teammate preferred keeping things to herself until she was ready to open up. Even more so were her chances of talking to Coulson directly about anything, which would be much more likely to happen now that they were the only ones who had the privacy of being alone for a while. Smiling to herself and wondering if she should sneak into Fitz's room to wake him up in order to check if the dwarves could provide them with some... surveillance, Jemma decided against that thought and slid back under her blankets and fell asleep once more. As curious as she was to know what exactly was going on between her friend and her boss, they truly needed to have some time to themselves; maybe later in the afternoon she and Fitz could work on something to help get some answers.

Meanwhile, once Coulson had left Jemma in her bunk to see if Skye was really in the kitchen, he had paused on his walk there. The chances of finding her at the bar would be more likely since the hot chocolate ingredients were permanently stashed away with the liquor... but for some reason he couldn't explain, Coulson seemed to know that Skye wouldn't be found making herself a drink at this hour, no. Judging from what he knew of her and all that had happened last night, she was probably taking some 'me-time' to herself before the others woke up. And so, he changed his path and took the stairs from Avionics downstairs which led to the lab and the main gangway where their cars were parked. And surely enough, once he reached there he knew that Skye was here. Glancing below the railing, Coulson noted that his assumption was slightly miscalculated for while he did find her moments later, she wasn't sitting inside the van but rather had taken the opportunity of an early morning awakening to start her training. Ward had set up the punching bag in the center the morning before and hadn't taken it down which had given Skye a ready chance to get some punches in; Coulson observed her from his vantage point at a height and could see the concentration etched across her features.

It was in that moment did Coulson realize one thing - no matter what his feelings towards Skye were, he could only imagine what she was going through at this time. Given the events of last night which had put her in the limelight by being the target of Daniel Quinn's fascination, Coulson pushed all his confusion aside as he descended the stairs quietly and approached Skye intending to check up on her. As he got nearer, he realized the young woman had closed her eyes as she was letting the music from her headphones wash away everything that she was possibly thinking about and hadn't noticed his presence yet. Taking this opportunity in hand, Coulson grinned as he stood behind the punching bag, holding it in place for her to have a better shot; only moments later after a handful of punches did Skye open her eyes and stop.

"A.C?" Skye hadn't expected anyone else to be awake and even if that wasn't the case, she wondered how Coulson had found her already when she just reached here only a couple of minutes ago.

She was surprised to see him here at this early hour, but even more than that, when she removed her headphones, Skye surprised herself when she actually gasped slightly on finally _seeing_ Coulson properly for the first time since she realized he was there; he was still wearing his night clothes which consisted only of black pajamas and a short-sleeved black S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt which definitely had to be tight on him. Her eyes were not frozen on the spot as they kept flitting from his really, _really_ toned arms back to his... well-formed chest and back again, but luckily she was aware that they were not gaping wide open.

"Skye... good morning." Coulson did notice that she had suddenly fallen silent upon noticing him standing there and heard the tone of her voice but simply assumed that she was surprised he did manage to find her.

"I... umm... hey." Lame! After all this time and everything that the two of them had been through, how was the only thing she could first say to him a 'hey' and without any of her usual cheeriness? Skye knew the answer to that and almost automatically figured that this was probably why Coulson was here. "I was just getting some training started before today's session." She explained before he got a chance to say something else, trying to settle her uneven breathing which wasn't entirely due to her five minute workout.

"It's pretty early for a session with Ward. Did you get any sleep?" He knew there were two ways to go about this and he chose the direct way.

"Some yeah." Skye shrugged as she backed away from the punching bag and walked around to where Coulson stood but only because she had to grab a water bottle. Her feelings were still all over the place and she didn't know what she wanted just then. "Did you?" She asked, now that she was closer to him, she observed the look in his eyes and felt disheartened at what she saw.

"A bit." They both knew that these half-answers were not what the other person was used to and felt the tension in the air around them; the only thing Coulson wanted was to do whatever he could to change that fact.

"Well I should head upstairs and meet the others for breakfast." Assuming that everyone else had also woken up by now, Skye decided to leave, not knowing why she was feeling this way; after all she went through last night, it wasn't like she felt upset about anything Coulson had done. In fact, every inch of her body was screaming at her to stay around him for a while longer; she knew that he stayed behind to watch over her last night and immediately found his way back to her once all was said and done and yet her feet seemed to be taking her away from him.

Reaching for a towel that was draped across one of the tables there, Skye was about to head for the lab and then towards the kitchen. Before she could even take a step forward, Coulson had stopped her; reaching out to take a hold of her wrist and waiting until she turned around before he debated if he should say something to her. There was plenty of safe distance between them and yet Skye couldn't help make the unconscious decision to close the gap; she knew that Coulson was giving her the space she didn't know she needed, but this was her choice. They locked gazes and stood facing each other, a few feet apart with neither of them speaking a word. However, after what seemed like several prolonged minutes although it was mere seconds, Coulson still held onto Skye's hand drawing her closer to him as he draped the other arm around her back as he gently hugged her. The moment she mind registered that Coulson was hugging her, Skye immediately reached out and put her arms around his neck in response. It seemed as if that was what he was waiting for because the second he felt her touch, he let go of her hand and snaked it around her waist; the gesture made Skye close her eyes at this feeling, it was literally warm and fuzzy for a first real hug that they both reciprocated. She even went as far to rest her head against his shoulder, just like she had the night before; all the stress that she had built inside her deflated in one giant sigh as she felt herself loosen up in his arms. How long they stayed like that, neither of them knew but it was clearly longer than any regular hug would last and soon they both broke apart at the same time; whatever awkwardness or tension or unspoken thoughts lingered in the air vanished as soon as they had hugged each other.

"Skye..." Coulson started to say but before the question even left his mouth, she had already answered him because it was obvious that he wanted to know how she was doing and if the flutter in her heart was anything to go by, Skye knew that her mood was starting to visibly brighten.

"Thank you A.C." She had finally understood that the churning emotions within her which settled itself on its own with this hug meant that there was nothing else she needed to worry about, not when she knew Coulson would always be there. "Not just for the hug. For everything. For last night." Skye smiled as she said those last words because truly, it had been a magical night, no matter what the mission had entailed.

"Glad to know you're feeling better." Was all he replied but Coulson did smile back as they fell into their regular niche together.

"So... breakfast?" Skye wondered if this sounded a little direct because by now she had started to consider the possibility that maybe the rest of their team still remained asleep and it meant getting a chance to spend some more time with Coulson.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, a loud thumping noise was heard from above their heads and as they both glanced up to the ceiling, it was obvious that Fitz possibly was awake and had decided to wake Ward and Simmons up as well. When they met each other's gaze again, Skye already knew what Coulson's answer would be and in spite of that, this morning had started off on a bright note and she was going to keep it the same way.

"I'll get some later, if May is already awake I need to talk to her about where we're headed first." The temptation to follow Skye was another unexpected thought that crossed his mind but Coulson knew it could wait.

He wasn't sure what his feelings meant and neither did he know anything about Skye's feelings, but if this was something that would turn into more, then waiting a little while longer wouldn't be an issue. And as he watched the retreating form of the young woman who seemed to be constantly in his thoughts since a while now, Coulson felt that whatever this was... it definitely did not appear to be one-sided at all. With that thought in mind, he smiled to himself as he headed for the cockpit, a new day awaited them and there was much to be done.

 

 


	8. Coulson dreams about Skye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another p.o.v chapter with Coulson, this should be interesting!

_"Phil?" Skye's soft but surprised voice reached Coulson's ears as he turned around to see her walking towards him, dressed in a knee-length rose pink sleeveless dress with a hint of gold. "What... what is all this?" More than surprise, it sounded as if she was... in awe._

_"Hey, beautiful." Reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist, Coulson gave her a light peck on the lips before gesturing to the view in front of them, "This... is our date for tonight." He explained as he led her down the path which opened up to a private beach that had been specially reserved for the two of them. Tonight he had dressed simple - a grey shirt that was unbutton at the top and black pants without a jacket; just the way she liked._

_"A date. On the beach? Under the moonlight." Unable to believe the sight that met her eyes, Skye still managed a bright smile as she realized that this was a dream come true and it was all because of the man beside her. "This is just..." She couldn't even find the right words to describe how her heart was fluttering as everything started to seem more real, it was surreal and magical._

_"Cliche?" He tried to finish her sentence as they arrived at a table set for two which was already fully prepared with dishes, desserts and even a bottle of champagne._

_ "Yes. Sort of, I mean... in a good way obviously." Skye giggled when she found him pulling out her chair before she sat down, the perfect gentleman as always. "Have I forgotten a special day?" She couldn't help but ask him, this just seemed so... special, just like the other dates they'd been on but each had coincided with their six-month anniversary or first year anniversary or both their birthday's. _

_ "I'm glad you liked it. Dinner on the beach is probably overdone but it is romantic too." Coulson said to Skye as he sat opposite and took her hand in his. "And no, this isn't in honor of anything special at all, I just... thought of doing something special for us... it's been a while since our last date and we do have the whole weekend to ourselves..." Drifting off at the end, he grinned when he noticed Skye's light blush in the candlelight. _

_ "It's perfect. I was actually going to say 'magical' earlier... a magical, wonderful, perfect cliche." She loved everything about this night already and it had only just begun. _

_ "Well then, allow me to create a little more magic for you sweetheart." Letting go of Skye's hand only for a minute, Coulson stood up once again and walked around to where she sat, offering his hand to her. _

_ Glancing up at him in a slight state of confusion, Skye didn't blink before taking hold of his hand and got up as well, wondering what he had planned for tonight. There was definitely more than just this one surprise, but what was coming next she didn't know. _

_ "Phil... where are you taking me now?" The two of them had not even left the tiny enclosure but Skye noticed that Coulson had brought her close to the path they had just walked down from, near a few rocks and pebbles which were strewn on the sandy beach. _

_ "Just wait... you'll see." Stopping nearby, Coulson gestured for Skye to stand in the same spot without moving while he walked to the rocks and bent down; that was when she finally spotted something which had been concealed in the shadows all along, a small music player. "Here we are." He said as he pressed a button and stood back up once the soft song started. _

_ Taking his place in front of Skye, Coulson wrapped his arm around her waist again and took one hand in his as he slowly began to sway in time with the music. It took only a few seconds but when Skye listened to the music playing, her eyes widened as her smile brightened. _

_ "This song! Isn't this the same song that..." She began, but before she could say anything else, Coulson had completed the sentence for her. _

_ "That we danced on together for the first time in my office. When I taught you how to waltz. Thought you might like it." He replied as they found their sync as always and continued to dance, though a little more slower this time around. _

_ "I love it Phil. This night is truly magical, thank you." Skye couldn't help but feel a tiny bit emotional and before Coulson could notice her eyes tearing up, she rested her head against his chest and moved her arms up to his neck. _

_ "You're welcome Skye." Coulson whispered softly, pausing for a second only to tuck away a strand of her hair behind her ear. _

_ Once the song finished, they remained there, cherishing in the moment and not letting it end until they decided it was time. The dinner wasn't going anywhere and the night was still young, which meant there was plenty of opportunities for more surprises. In the meantime, Skye had thought of something she could do for Coulson and breaking apart from her hold around him but still staying where she was, met his gaze under the moonlight and saw the twinkle in his eyes, telling her he knew what was coming next. Standing on her tiptoes, Skye placed one hand on his cheek as she brought her lips to his in a soft, gentle kiss to which he responded in return by pulling her to him as his hands went to her lower back and deepened the moment when he felt Skye moan as her lips opened allowing him entry and her fingers tangled up in his hair. This was what she had been looking forward to and just like every time before this, Coulson never ceased to amaze her. _

_ When they broke apart for air, Coulson didn't want this to stop and so he began to leave tiny kisses on Skye's neck as he trailed down to her shoulder and kissing the silk ribbon that tied her dress, tugged on it once with his teeth knowing it was open when he heard her soft gasp. His hands were still on her waist and her lips were nibbling on his ear when he undid the second ribbon on the other side of the dress, giving him the chance to simply tug on the zip slowly and carefully... _

Coulson's eyes snapped open as he sat upright and tried to figure out where he was; it took him only a moment to remember that he was in his bed on the Bus, not in the middle of a beach. He had been asleep and those thoughts... they'd been more than just that this time around, he seemed to have progressed to dreaming. About Skye. Letting out a deep breath and laying his head back against the pillows, Coulson started to focus on his breathing for a few minutes; a quick and effective exercise to calm his mind down and let the images of his dream settle enough for him to try and make sense of what he was going through.

The beach, the dance, the kiss... Skye in that dress, their first song, hearing her call him 'Phil' even if only in a dream... a dream that took place in the future... all these bits and pieces seemed to be part of a larger picture that he still couldn't see but somehow, Coulson knew that what he had seen tonight was the key to figuring everything out. Only this morning he had met Skye downstairs as she took out her anger from their mission in Monaco on the punching bag and in spite of all the feelings he'd experienced as well, he couldn't fathom what she had gone through and putting aside his own anger  _ and _ jealousy, Coulson had hugged her. The rest of the day had gone by in a flurry as May had received orders to land at the Hub for a quick debriefing about the mission before they were given a few days off until the next mission came through; which meant that while he focused his resources on tracking Ian Quinn down, Skye was busy caught up in training with Ward and though they had crossed paths with each other, there hadn't been enough time to talk more. What exactly did he want to talk to her about he wasn't sure... the only thing he knew was that the jealousy was still there.

"Why? Why do I feel jealous? And what did the dream mean?" Coulson voiced his thoughts out loud as he tried to make sense of everything.

An idea came to him just then, if the feelings were something he'd felt for longer than he initially thought, maybe he needed to first figure out when this had begun for him. Closing his eyes as he began to recall the events over the last several weeks, Coulson started to remember it all, before the mission even was underway - gifting Skye his mother's antique hair comb, every dance lesson they'd had together, the night at the bar when Skye was working and he had made hot chocolate for her, that unexpected turbulence... seeing Skye in his office several hours before...

"That's it; the night of the turbulence." This time, Coulson didn't just sit upright in bed as he continued to relive memories of his encounters with Skye, he turned to sit on the edge as he clasped his hands together and focused on that one particular incident.

He remembered being in his office getting ready for bed that night when Skye had suddenly showed up unannounced, possibly to talk about the mission in more detail since it had been the first time they'd gotten word about it, but for some reason before she even set foot inside, Coulson had turned around to see her mumble something before running out and not bringing it up even when he had gone to check on her during the turbulence. The next few days after that... Coulson had observed a slight change in Skye's behavior, she seemed to be very conscious of herself when he was in the same room and during any of their briefings, she stood next to FitzSimmons but didn't meet his gaze for too long except when giving her report. And before he could ask her anything, that night at the bar... she seemed perfectly normal again; as if something had changed again, bringing the old Skye back.

"Did she...?" He started to say as the thoughts all started to connect with each other forming an idea in his mind; it was almost but certain now that there was a good chance he had understood when Skye might have realized her feelings for him.

Not just that, but the more Coulson thought about it, when he unconsciously reacted on seeing the froth on her lips and reached out to wipe it away, he had been thinking about those eyes of hers and remembered his first thought on seeing Skye there had been that she was beautiful. Once that word was in his mind, he shifted to the evening of their mission and going to her bunk, seeing her dressed in that gorgeous midnight blue gown and that momentary brush of his hands against hers when he took the hair comb to place it in her hair, dancing with her as Clark and Chloe at the mansion, hiding behind the curtains together... not to mention the morning when he had begun to teach Skye to dance, feeling her hand on his shoulder while he rested his on her waist, the smooth and swift transition as they danced in a near perfect sync and then twirling her around... all the details now meant more than they had. Coulson finally understood everything, but most importantly, he knew what the jealous feelings were about. Why they were there, where they had come from. He was never jealous of Daniel Quinn, no. His jealousy had to do with the fact that in that moment when it awoke within him, it was because he wanted nothing more in the world than to be the man who had Skye in his arms and be the person she could see herself with, someone who would protect her, be there for her, stay by her side, remain her partner and... love her... always.

"I love her." As soon as those words were on his lips, Coulson knew that it was true. For whatever reason, he hadn't really ever thought about his feelings so deeply and earnestly but now that he had, there was nothing else he needed just then. "I'm in love with Skye..." He repeated, hearing the words loud and clearly even if his voice had been a mere whisper and felt the smile forming across his face.

Sighing to himself as he fell back on the bed, this time with his hands tucked under his head as he stared at the ceiling, Coulson didn't think about anything else for several minutes, allowing himself to cherish this time immediately after accepting his feelings and letting the contentment wash over him.  _ Content? _ He couldn't be content; how was that even possible... he still hadn't said those three words to Skye. And neither had she. Frowning for a second as he mulled over that, Coulson realized that if Skye did indeed have feelings for him as well then it was possible she hadn't spoken about this to him all along because she wasn't sure of his feelings towards her... and maybe she had been worried if he did love her... but enough time had gone by already, maybe even too much if he thought about it... there was no need to waste any more; he would go to her now and tell her how he felt right away. The rest of everything that came after this would be something they both could deal with... together.

"Hmm... 7 o'clock already." Coulson mused as he glanced at the time, wondering if it was wise to simply jump up and find Skye now. The rest of his team could be awake by now, it was only by luck the day before that they had been asleep till late morning. "I should see where she is." One step at a time; there may not necessarily be a right minute to talk to her about this but at least he could try and find some privacy away from the others.

Having made his mind up, Coulson decided it was time he got ready soon before heading out and checking Skye's bunk first hoping to catch her sooner rather than later. A quarter of an hour later found Coulson passing through the briefing room after lucking out on the bunk, kitchen and bar; if she wasn't up here then perhaps he would find her downstairs training with Ward. As soon as he reached the docking bay, he heard loud peals of laughter coming from inside the lab and on arriving there saw FitzSimmons and Skye mimicking Ward... in front of him to his amusement; but Coulson didn't notice anything else... his attention was riveted on the young woman standing with her back to the doors as her laughter echoed through the walls and reached his ears, he could only see the way her eyes twinkled under the lights in the room, the comfort and familiarity she felt around her teammates, all the bubbling energy and cheerfulness so early in the morning, the beaming smile that only grew on her lips... lips that he had kissed not so long ago in his dreams... and now Coulson wondered to himself what it would be like outside the dream.

"She's doing much better today." A voice from behind suddenly interrupted his thoughts as Coulson noticed May standing next to him, watching the same thing he was until just then when she turned to face him.

"So she is." Coulson replied back, he'd had a nagging feeling that maybe Simmons was someone who knew more about him and Skye than the others, even if there was nothing yet; May on the other hand, he might have guessed that she had her thoughts but hadn't said anything to him all along. Until now.

"Are you going to tell her?" May asked, sounding so calm and neutral about the whole thing that to Coulson he might have thought she was talking about something as normal as the weather if he didn't know better.

"How did you know?" He answered her question with one of his, not breaking away from his gaze on the lab but still standing in May's direction. "Was it that obvious?" Coulson added as an afterthought and wondered if Fitz and Ward knew as well.

"I had a feeling... but no, it wasn't too obvious. Jemma was the first to figure it out; you already knew that though." She had been watching him and as she noticed the look on his face and clearly saw the love he had for Skye in that second, May finally smiled.

"Yes, Jemma has always seemed like she knew more than she was trying to show. I think she just wanted to help... but chose to wait it out and see what happened first." It was only when he saw that sliver of a smile on his colleague's face did he glance her way and saw her reaction to the news; she was happy for him and he was thankful he had someone like May to talk to.

"And what is going to happen first?" Curious to hear what he had to say, May waited patiently as she saw him focused only on Skye as if she was the sole person in the room with him.

Coulson didn't reply to May's question for a few minutes as he turned his gaze back to the lab where the others had finally noticed his presence and stopped fooling around to resume their work - Fitz was working with his dwarves, Jemma was checking Ward's routine test results and Skye was busy on her laptop; but when she felt his gaze on her, she looked up and smiled at him before going back to what she was doing, leaving Coulson to continue watching her.

"I'm going to tell Skye that I love her." No matter how long it took, no matter what he had to do to find that one moment of privacy, no matter if he had to shoo his entire team off the Bus, Coulson was determined to tell Skye how he felt today itself and if all went well then maybe he would see what a real kiss would be like.

 


	9. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all... enjoy! ^__^

Skye closed her eyes for a minute as she leaned against the wall to catch her breath; her training session with Ward had just ended and after a couple of rounds of hand to hand combat followed by basic sparring lessons, Skye had decided to end the afternoon with another turn on the punching bag, it was probably the best thing for her to just release all the anger that had been pent up inside her because she could finally feel it fading away at last. After almost three days of working out nonstop, she wondered if Ward would not object to taking at least a week off from practice because she was sure he was as bruised and sore as he looked. Flexing her hands she grimaced slightly as she felt the dull throb in her fingers turn into something a little more painful and so she immediately began to unwrap the bandages that Ward insisted were required every time they trained.

As Skye continued to slowly wind the cloth up while she removed them, her thoughts strayed back to the only thing that remained on her mind for more than the last 24 hours... the hug that Coulson had given here... in this very same place where she stood just now, which obviously was not helping things because even though she had been taken aback in that moment, not only had she hugged him in return but had also thanked him, Skye still couldn't think of a reason as to why Coulson had hugged her in the first place. It had been an unexpected but pleasant surprise and it possibly could have been another sign that maybe he did have feelings for her; unfortunately, the previous day turned out to be more busy than she would have guessed given that the team was supposed to be on a mini-break before the next mission details came through and neither of them had gotten a chance to really talk. Skye knew that it was partially her fault because while she had no reason to avoid him, she was still trying to get the after-effects of their previous mission out of her system and had inadvertently ended up caught in her own feelings and emotions over everything that had happened in Monaco that she didn't stop to think about Coulson's feelings.

"Hey, you done yet?" Ward called out to Skye as he finished packing away the last of their training equipment and turned around to find Skye busy with her bandages but when he noticed that she hadn't replied to his question, his brow creased as he observed that she seemed deep in thought about something and looked worried.

It was true that Skye hadn't heard Ward's voice because once she finished one hand, it was almost an automatic switch to her other hand without paying attention to anything else as her mind was focused on realizing how silly it had been of her to ignore Coulson without meaning to do so. If there was anyone she could open up to, it was him and there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to talk to Coulson; maybe then she would find the courage to speak up and tell her about her feelings towards him as well. Or if it could be accomplished, Skye wanted to see if Coulson would open up and talk to her about his feelings. About something, anything, everything. Sighing to herself and staring into nothingness, Skye didn't even sense Ward's presence near her when he walked over to where she stood but when she felt the bandages of his hand on her skin, she assumed that she wasn't done with hers and absent-mindedly reached out to take Ward's hand in both of hers as she started to remove them.

"Skye?" Curious to see what she was so involved in, Ward decided to ask Skye what she was thinking about but instead, he found himself staring at her in surprise as she worked to unwrap his bandages when it seemed clear to him that she had no idea of what she was doing. "Hey... Skye." By now whatever worry he thought she had passed over to Ward and he touched her arm gently with his free hand, hoping to break through her concentration.

"Huh... what?" Skye blinked several times when she felt a warm hand and glanced up to see Ward standing a few feet away from her.

"Are you okay Skye? You had me worried there for a second when you weren't replying to me." He asked her, still aware of her hands working on their own on his and tried not to grin.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Why..." She started to ask when she realized that she could still feel Ward's hand in hers and looked down to see that she was holding his palm, while the bandages were now lying in a bundle on the floor. "Oh... did I just...?" Skye put two and two together and understood why Ward was looking at her in amusement. "Oops!" Finally letting go of his hand she glanced up back to him and couldn't help herself from letting out a tiny laugh.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ward offered when he finished freeing his other hand of the bandages and focused on Skye, "Is everything alright with you? I noticed you were in deep thought a few minutes ago but I didn't realize you were busy contemplating the meaning of life." He added with a laugh of his own.

"Ha. Ha. Ward, very funny. I was just distracted for a moment that's all. No contemplation here. Really, I'm okay." Skye reassured him; it was nice to know that he cared about her enough to be there when she needed a friend but until she didn't figure out what to do about this 'thing' she had or didn't have with Coulson, she had to keep this to herself for the moment.

"Okay... if you say so... shall we go up and get lunch?" Ward knew when he had to respect Skye's decision to keep her thoughts to herself without prying, "After almost getting turned into a pulp I could use some food right about now."

Hearing him comment on her fighting skills which were definitely a big improvement after all these weeks, Skye felt herself smiling and knew that even if the worry about her and Coulson would still be on her mind, she could spend a time with Ward and the others. Swatting him on the shoulder as she walked ahead towards the kitchen Skye decided that no matter what happened, if she could find a handful of free moments alone with Coulson that day, she would lay it all out to him and see where things took them.

"Where is everyone?" Upon reaching the kitchen and finding it empty, Skye looked to Ward who simply shrugged before setting about to making some food.

"It looks like FitzSimmons were here a little while ago." He commented as he noticed the ingredients left behind by their team mates on the counter, "Hmm... the famous sandwich, good thing I wasn't here." Ward chuckled as he noticed Skye's confusion from her seat at the sofa.

"What on earth are you talking about Ward?" Skye wondered if she should see where Coulson was at the moment but figured running away and leaving Ward with more questions than she could answer was not the best course of action.

She was feeling a little antsy now and figured it was probably because the Bus was not airborne yet; that morning in a quick and hurried meeting, Coulson had explained to her and everyone else about an emergency call he had received from Director Fury personally stating that he come alone to an unspecified location for a meeting as soon as it was possible. May had immediately diverted their flight path towards Illinois and Coulson left with Lola as soon as they had touched down. Glancing at the clock, Skye noted that it had been several hours already and there was no sign of his return yet, but she wasn't worried; whatever this meeting was about had to be immensely important if the Director had contacted Coulson directly. And so she resolved to wait patiently until he came back when he would possibly tell them what had happened.

"Don't you remember the infamous sandwich Jemma had made for Fitz when we went on that mission to Russia?" Ward had finally finished preparing a quick meal for him and Skye, "Let's see what it was..." He sat down on the sofa across from where she sat and thought about the exact words Fitz had used, "Prosciutto and buffalo mozarella with a hint of homemade pesto aioli. That was it!"

"Oh... the sandwich that you ended up _throwing_ away before Fitz could even eat it?" Skye smirked as she teased him, remembering all too well about that incident.

"Hey! There were search dogs lurking around us and if they caught scent of the sandwich we'd have been eaten instead. I acted on instinct." Ward tried to explain but knew it was pointless; Skye and Jemma hadn't let him hear the last of it for weeks after they had returned from Russia and even now it seemed that he wasn't off the hook.

"Without thinking first." She added with a giggle but then stopped almost instantly when she saw May passing through the kitchen heading towards the cockpit mostly. "Agent May!" Skye called out, "Do you want to join us for lunch?" She asked, wondering why Ward had suddenly gone quiet.

"No thank you Skye, I ate my lunch already. Coulson has just returned and he's given a new destination to Boston for our next mission. Wheels up in 5." May was polite but curt as she nodded to Skye before leaving them to their meal.

Once May was gone and Skye heard the soft noise of the cockpit door closing, she rounded on Ward and just stared at him with wide eyes and not saying anything until he looked up at her and noticed that she wasn't planning on letting this go away so easily.

"What?" He asked her, the lightness of his voice was gone and now all Skye heard was a bluntness to it that she hadn't in a long time.

"Wow... if I didn't know any better I'd say I was sitting in front row seats of Disney on Ice. What is going on with you and May?" Cutting straight to the point, Skye asked him directly. It wasn't that hard to see the change between them ever since Monaco. Strange how that one mission had seemingly affected all the others as well as herself.

"Nothing. Why would you say that?" Avoiding the topic was one of Ward's specialities and yet because Skye knew him, she also knew how to get him to spill.

"Umm... because ever since the two of you were paired up for the mission in Monaco things have changed. A lot." She started to say and went on before he could deflect the question again, "I mean, I know you'll have the whole friends with benefits thing going..." This time Ward interrupted her.

" _Skye._ " He stared at her almost dumbfounded at her directness of judging the situation when he thought she possibly knew nothing.

"Okay okay... sorry, I meant to say the whole 'no strings attached' deal that the two of you have." Skye rephrased her sentence and noticed Ward's expression changing slightly, "Better?"

"How did you even..." That's all he wanted to know first before anything else. Ward groaned inwardly as he realized that if Skye knew about his trysts with May then it was possible FitzSimmons also knew about it as well.

"I'm not an idiot Ward, we live on the same plane together for God's sake." She smiled, knowing it was probably the most obvious reason although she felt a little surprised he thought it was a secret; but then she realized that even though Jemma and May seemed to know _something_ about her and Coulson, no one had said anything specific.

"Right. Good point." Conceding to her logical explanation Ward decided that maybe if there was someone he could talk to it was Skye, "I just... I'm confused about this whole thing. That night in the mansion, it felt as if something changed between us... but we haven't really gotten around to talking about it at all." He sighed as he leaned back against the sofa with his eyes closed.

"Hey... listen to me Ward, there's no reason to sound like you've given up already." Skye said to him, "Look, all you need to do is stop wasting time and just go talk to her as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Keeping all these feelings to yourself isn't going to help the situation..." She knew that he was listening to every word she said but as she heard her own voice speaking about him and May, she couldn't help but wonder if this was the right moment to go and talk to Coulson now that he was back and probably alone in his office.

"You're right." Ward replied as he managed a half smile, "I guess I just needed to hear it from a friend. Thank you Skye." He did feel better after talking to her.

"No problem, all I did was paraphrase what I read in Cosmo." It was the light-hearted joke she knew was more for herself than for him but it worked either way because Ward did laugh at her comment.

"Right. Good to know you rely on Cosmo tips for dating advice Skye." Feeling the relaxed mood around them, Ward debated over something for a moment when he remembered May's comment only a few minutes ago. "Say... didn't I just hear that we're headed to Boston right away? That's pretty close to New York isn't it?" He couldn't help but wonder if FitzSimmons knew about this too and as if on cue, he saw them arriving there.

"There's a mission briefing in 10 minutes. Agent Coulson just informed us when we were headed to the lab; did he say where we're going to?" Fitz asked as he sat down next to Ward while Simmons took the empty seat beside Skye.

"Boston apparently." Skye repeated Ward's statement and then it hit her what he was referring to. New York. Just thinking about it made her feel an uneasiness settling in her stomach as she realized the implications of the new mission which could end up being more dangerous than Monaco, but for completely different reasons.

"Wow. Boston? I'm surprised we're going so close to the East Coast. All our missions have seemed to stay away from those cities because of obvious reasons." Jemma exclaimed but seemed more happy about this new development.

All Skye could think of in that moment was the urgent need to talk to Coulson about this as soon as it was possible. Tonight, hopefully if things worked out in her favor. After everything they had all gone through as a team, the one unspoken rule had always seemed to be that there would not be any missions assigned to them near New York City. The only thing she wanted to know wasn't any mission details, nor any plans to have her work any systems, but why Coulson had accepted this job.

Evening came and went, followed by night and it was only late after midnight did Skye make up her mind to get out of bed and go for a cup of hot chocolate. She had been restless ever since the meeting had finished in the afternoon; once Coulson had joined them in the briefing room followed by May when they were well on their way to Boston, things had gotten busy, hectic and impossible for her to even find a second of spare time to ask Coulson if she could talk to him. By the time the team had called it a night, she had resolved to try again tomorrow but when she realized sleep was evading her, Skye reluctantly left her warm bunk and began to walk towards the bar, rubbing her arms to build some heat for as soon as she stepped into the corridor, it was _cold_ all around! Speeding up her pace and still caught up in her thoughts about wanting to talk to Coulson and feeling frustrated that after the hug they hadn't had really spoken to each other, she didn't look up in time to see the taller figure in front of her whom she walked into.

"Oof!" Skye bumped into a soft pillar and looked up to see that it was not a pillar but rather Coulson himself who instantly reached out to steady her. "A.C. Sorry, I didn't see where I was going." She blurted out before he could say anything.

"It's alright Skye, you're not hurt are you?" Coulson asked, still holding her shoulders because he really hadn't expected to find her tonight and was relieved that it was just the two of them at last.

"Hurt? No. Not at all, I'm perfectly fine. It turns out that the pillar I thought I walked into was more softer and firm and well-built than I thought." Skye rambled before widening her eyes and biting her lower lip when she realized she had said all those words out loud; the blush was already starting to creep its way to her cheeks that were flustered and her gaze fell to the floor.

Coulson had heard her loud and clear but while he smiled on hearing those words, he also knew that Skye was feeling a little embarrassed and so instead of saying anything about that he chose to switch to a safer topic and hopefully if they weren't interrupted then maybe this was the chance he had been looking for.

"How about some hot chocolate? You look like you could use some. I just finished heating a mug from the thermos that Simmons left behind after dinner." Coulson said to her.

"Sure. I'd like that." Daring to look up, she saw the smile on his face and felt the butterflies in her stomach flying all around, they were close enough to each other for Skye to feel warm again and she finally dropped her hands back down to her sides.

It was only then and the fact that she had stepped back a little bit did Coulson let his gaze shift from her face lower as he noticed what she was wearing tonight before looking up again with... a hint of surprise mixed with happiness? Skye didn't register his reaction until she looked at her night clothes.

"Oh!" Mentally whacking herself for dressing up in this of all the pj's she owned, Skye waited to see if Coulson would laugh or say something to her.

She blamed the stupid cold weather of December that had forced her to stop wearing night gowns and stick to pajama's for the most part. And honestly, neither had she planned on choosing this particular outfit nor had she expected her to ever find herself face to face with Coulson dressed in a Captain America oversized t-shirt. As if remembering something else, Skye turned slightly and checked the pj's to see that there indeed was a band of three stripes on either side - red, white and blue. By now, she knew the redness of her cheeks were flaming in the heat of knowing Coulson was staring at her in silence observing her from a few feet away and all she could do was cover her face with both hands.

"Hey... what's wrong Skye?" Coulson had been quietly watching her come to the realization of what she was wearing and her reaction was a little different than what he thought it would be. "I thought you were more of an Iron Man fan." He added, hoping to make her feel less embarrassed than she was and wondered if he should take her hands in his, away from hiding her face.

"I was. I mean... I am." Skye whispered softly but she didn't move her hands, "Trust me, you don't want to see that." She dared to say as she caught a whiff of hot chocolate in the air and knew that Coulson had heated a cup for her.

"I didn't know they even made night clothes for the Avengers to be honest." Grinning to himself as he left the mug on the counter beside his, Coulson didn't think about it for another second and gently took a hold of Skye's hands in his as he lowered them down from her face.

"Neither did I." Skye wasn't sure if she wanted to admit that it was actually something of a personal secret she had planned on keeping to herself, not just from him but the rest of the team, _even_ Jemma. It was a childish thing she knew but whenever she felt like it, sometimes she would get better sleep when wearing one of her Avengers night clothes. "I just... umm... I didn't know what I was wearing." Was all she said to him, well aware that they were still holding hands and neither one made a move to let go.

"Well you look... nice. It suits you." Coulson paused as he tried to find the right words to say something to her, why was it so hard for him to suddenly compliment her when all along he'd always been able to tell her how beautiful she was, no matter what she wore.

"Thanks. Umm... I didn't realize you were awake so late tonight." She thought about her decision this afternoon but all she could remember was bits and pieces of her talk with Ward, all other coherent thoughts seemed to have vanished the moment Coulson's hands touched her.

"I guess its a habit of sorts. You're awake too." He pointed out as they finally sat down at the bar and took their respective mugs of hot chocolate to hold onto.

"Yes. I am. I was actually hoping to talk to you about something." Seeing herself in Captain America clothes had made her recall the worry about their new mission in Boston; it was so close to New York City, so close to where they all were. Not just Captain America himself... the other Avengers were there too. More than that, Skye also knew that this was where the Battle of New York had taken place.

"What is it Skye?" Coulson noticed the sadness in her voice and placed a hand on top of hers. "You can ask me anything you want to."

"The mission. In Boston. Why... why did you take it?" She asked finally, knowing there was no point in trying to phrase it in any other way. "I mean... we've never gone to the East Coast all along and now..." Skye trailed off without finishing her sentence knowing that he already knew what she was going to say next.

"And now we're headed to the city right near where I died." It was blunt and direct but Coulson didn't want to shy away from it, not when they already knew everything that they had discovered about T.A.H.I.T.I almost a month ago. "The thing is, we weren't supposed to have any other missions until after the holidays ended and officially SHIELD does believe that we're on a month long break until the New Year, but when I got a call from Director Fury this morning and went to that meeting, I didn't get to see him but instead met Agent Hill. The details of our mission are pretty much classified for the moment like I mentioned in the briefing but it is more an off-the-book simple task for our specialists and if all goes well then we won't even be in Boston for too long."

"So... then, the chances of... them knowing you're in the vicinity are rare?" Skye spoke up after hearing all Coulson had to say.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that." Coulson didn't elaborate on this point any further but he knew she could see the hidden smile, whatever he was planning had to remain a secret from her until the time was right.

"Okay... that's about as cryptic as you can get A.C?" She teased, wanting to know more. "Come on, give me something here! At least tell me if they know you're... still... alive." Skye was still not used to talking about him with words like 'alive' or 'dead' even if it was all in the past; she herself had gone through the same thing and while it had bonded them on a closer level, Skye didn't always bring it up whenever they talked about it.

"Yes." It was okay for him to tell her this much but ever since he had thought of this secret a few hours ago, he didn't want to spoil the surprise. "They all know about my being alive but not the details of it; that's still between you and I." He added as an afterthought; there was no one else he trusted to know the truth about the GH 325. Not yet.

"Really? But are you going to go to New York if you get the chance?" Skye wasn't just curious to know more about his life before everything had changed, she wanted to know if he _could_ talk about it.

"Possibly, we'll have to see how things work out." He hadn't thought about anything else when he started to talk but for some reason, all these questions that Skye kept asking him, it made him want to tell her more. "I haven't been there in almost 2 years now so I guess it would be good to visit the Stark Tower again and see everyone. After the Battle of New York was over and we'd won, this secret of me still being alive was kept hidden up until only a few weeks ago and when you asked me about learning how to dance that night in Monaco, it reminded me of all the friends I'd left behind but I was glad to know that Director Fury had allowed the Avengers to know the truth." Coulson was only just starting to realize this was the first time he'd actually talked about this for such a long time with anyone but knowing it was Skye made him forget about all other doubts as he went on with his tale.

Skye who was always a patient listener when she needed to be sat in the same position with the stool angled towards his as she heard him continue talking a little bit about all those details that he never mentioned when the Avengers initiative came into play and how he had been involved in recruiting almost every single one of the members personally and being at the front of everything when the invasion had begun; it was a bit of a long story but to Skye, when he finally finished, it felt as if only mere minutes had passed by. Now that she knew everything that Coulson had gone through, a new and different thought came in her mind - she might have been thinking about herself if anyone else heard her statement but to her, mentally, all she knew was that she was only thinking about Coulson. Here was a man who had gone through so much in his life, someone who had devoted all these years to an organization he believed in more than anyone else, a fallen soldier in battle who was brought back to life through nothing less than a miracle, a person who had experienced so much pain and sadness and disappointment in realizing everything he believed to be true turned out be false and filled with lies and yet, in spite of all this and more, he still had hope. Hope for things to change one day, to become better, to help build a world where they all could be as safe as possible.

So what was Skye thinking when she thought that of all the people, Coulson would be someone she could have a future with; her past was a mystery, her present was made up of lies, her future seemed unknown to her almost everyday even though she had found a place in his team with S.H.I.E.L.D., she was so much younger than him, she could be childish at times and didn't obey the rules, even going as far as _disobeying_ him sometimes if it was extreme. He needed a partner who was not just his equal but someone who could provide a sense of stability and security in the midst of all this chaos that they lived in day in and day out; and now Skye wasn't even sure if she could be that person for him. Coulson deserved better. Only when this realization struck her did she decide that no matter what her feelings were, even if she loved him with all her heart, perhaps they were not meant to be... the ache within her started to grow stronger and she felt the sadness overwhelming her entire body as she sat there and if she stayed any longer then he would see the tears which she knew were not far away. She had to leave. Now.

"I should probably try and get some sleep." Not sure of what she had last heard, Skye hoped that this didn't sound too abrupt and out of nowhere to him. They had finished their hot chocolate a long time ago and perhaps the discussion was long finished as well.

"It is pretty late." Coulson nodded as he noticed the time, "Do you want me to walk you back to your bunk?" He asked her, and then saw that Skye was biting her lip again but something was different.

"No, I'll be okay. Thanks." Skye mumbled, her mind still distracted by his words and her decision that as she stood up to make her way past the corridors and to the bunks, she didn't really notice when she reached out to place a light kiss on his cheek.

In all honesty, she hadn't planned it nor did she even consider doing something so bold as this but during that split second, everything just came to her almost automatically and she acted on instinct. Or impulse. Maybe both. Skye was vaguely aware of her lips brushing the lower part of his cheek, close to his jaw and then she pulled back but found that her feet didn't want to move or that they couldn't. She raised her eyes to meet his and saw the hunger reflected there as he bent down slightly, closing the distance between them and she reached up to meet him halfway; their lips finding each other at last as they kissed. Coulson raised a hand to cup her cheek while the other slid around her waist and pulled her into him, while Skye threw both her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss, parting her mouth ever-so-slightly and moaned something incoherent when she felt his tongue caressing her lips before he captured the moan that threatened to escape her a second time with his lips. They were both lost in that moment as their bodies slowly mingled into one and almost as soon as it had begun, Skye gasped suddenly and broke apart as if realizing what she had just done.

"Skye..." Hearing her name being whispered so softly from his lips, she was barely able to meet his eyes and saw something there she thought she would never see; the way he was looking at her, still holding her by the waist, kissing her back and not stopping, it could mean...

"No, no..." She backed away from him shaking her head, trying to make sense of what had just happened and to make all these conflicting thoughts disappear. Her hand was hovering over her mouth as she kept walking backwards not sure what she could do or say to him.

Before another word was spoken, Skye turned around and ran away from the bar leaving Coulson behind to stand there and watch as she disappeared without saying anything. She dared not look behind and as soon as she was gone, he sat down on the stool once again but instead of looking shocked or saddened by this, he surprised even himself when he realized that he was still smiling. Touching his lips where he could still feel her, Coulson knew that this was better than any dream he could ever have and if Skye had made the first move by kissing him then it could mean only one thing - she loved him as well.

 


	10. I Love You

In the minutes that passed by since their kiss and Skye's sudden move to run away, Coulson kept replaying the events of what had occurred only moments ago and the more he thought about it, the more he found himself remembering the conversation he'd had with Ward once, about women being like puzzles and solving them was a challenge that came with its own rewards. He knew now that Skye was most definitely a unique puzzle, and if her running away changed anything it was only his resolve to do everything he could to try and figure out the why's and how's of this matter. She was special and certainly worth it. Coulson now had a single thought on his mind, he was determined to tell Skye that he loved her and hoped she would admit to feeling the same as well. At first he wondered if waiting until the morning was a good idea or not, seeing as it was unlikely they would get more than a second's time to breathe around the others, which meant that he would have to talk to her now; that was when he realized something interesting. Glancing around the bar Coulson noted that instead of heading the way she had come in, Skye had run in the opposite direction which would have led her downstairs.

"I guess it's now or never." Musing to himself out loud as he left the bar and began to make his way to the lab, Coulson wondered if he could learn of a specific reason for Skye's abrupt departure without saying a word.

He knew that it couldn't have been the kiss... because if it was... it could only have been because she had initiated it first and it was completely unexpected, catching them both off guard. The low thrum of the Bus was relaxing and as he walked past the corridors towards the staircase, a sudden thought came to his mind; just before he reached the last step and found himself facing Lola and the van, Coulson slipped inside the lab where he knew FitzSimmons stored extra supplies for the team whenever the winter season was upon them and found what he was looking for in a matter of several minutes. Once he had what he needed, Coulson walked over to the van whose doors had been left open on either side and sure enough, Skye was inside seated over on the far side with her legs pulled up against her chest; her eyes were closed and she hadn't yet noticed his presence but he knew that she would soon and so he took this moment to gaze at her, all the while thinking to himself of how lucky he was to have found her that day in Los Angeles. He couldn't imagine what his life at S.H.I.E.L.D. would have been like once he returned if she hadn't been a part of his team and he knew in all his heart that he hadn't loved anyone as he loved her.

As if she could read his mind, Skye suddenly opened her eyes and sensing him nearby saw that he was standing outside the van but still not making a move to sit inside. They both met each other's gazes and as if remembering what she had done after breaking apart from the kiss, Skye turned away and rested her head on her knees. Since she hadn't said anything about him leaving, Coulson took her silence to mean that he was allowed to join her. Sliding into the passenger seat wordlessly, he closed the door behind him and then... reached forward, closing the distance between him and Skye, whose only reaction was slight erratic breaths, Coulson placed one arm around the head-rest of her seat and using his free hand, pulled the door next to Skye shut as well. Just before he straightened himself, he noticed that Skye was facing him again. It was time to end the silence between them.

"Here, take this. I don't want you catching a cold if you're sitting in the van all by yourself with the doors open." Handing her the blanket he had brought with him, Coulson watched as she waited for a second, possibly thinking if he would drape it around her or not, before taking the warm and soft blanket and wrapping it over her shoulders.

This was the opening he hoped she would take and say something to finally end the conflicting thoughts his mind was filled with; for while he didn't believe all of those questions and theories which would make him think that Skye did not love him and did not mean to kiss him, they were still there and he needed them to be disproven. She was the only one who could do that. And so, during the next couple of minutes, Coulson sat there in the passenger seat and waited patiently, giving Skye all the space and time she required. He was aware of the fact that she continued to stare at him all along and finally after what felt like an eternity between them, he heard her take a deep breath before the first words fell from her lips.

"I'm sorry." Skye paused only to glance at Coulson to see his reaction which was surprisingly, calm before she went on, "For running away I mean." Elaborating on her apology, she felt a sudden sense of relief at being able to talk openly and so she continued, "I don't usually do things that I don't plan on doing and this wasn't one of them either." The silliness of how she must have seemed to Coulson was still churning up unknown emotions within her and so she decided not to bring up the kiss just yet, there was a lot that Skye needed to tell him and she knew this was the right time to get everything out into the open.

"Skye..." Coulson started to say something but she cut him off before he could get any words out.

"Just... just hear me out okay?" Turning around in the seat so that her legs were angled in his direction, she faced him at last and saw the understanding in his eyes and hoped that she could do this. "I... I need to get this all out... right here, right now because its been on my mind for a long time even though I may have only just realized that I needed to talk about it out loud. I don't really know where to begin." Shaking her head clear, Skye could feel the words on her lips but couldn't figure why they were stuck.

In that brief moment of Skye's hesitance, Coulson saw the look on her face and the sadness in her eyes as she struggled to get the words right; he assumed that her long pause all of a sudden was because she didn't want to say anything too direct or blunt which could hurt him or that she was still conflicted about revealing her feelings in front of him. Instead of speaking up, he simply reached out to place his hand on top of hers and when he caught her staring at him, he gave her a reassuring smile, hoping it would be enough. The last thing Coulson would ever want was for Skye to do something or say something that would make her uncomfortable but he also knew her very well and knew the determination in her eyes when he observed her then. Maybe this tiny gesture was really all that she needed.

"I guess I should start from the beginning since its the most obvious answer but before that, I have to say where this thing has suddenly come from and why... why it made me run." She could feel the rambling side of her coming to the surface but knowing that would just complicate things, Skye focused on the feeling of Coulson's hand in hers, for she hadn't let go of him.

"What you were talking about earlier, when the umm... topic about the Avengers came up and you started to tell me what really had happened in New York during the battle and how... what happened to you there... it made me realize something and I... I wasn't sure how I felt about that or what I thought about it. So I just left. And came here hoping that maybe I could make some sense of it all... but I don't think I've gotten very far in the last fifteen minutes or so." A small crack of a smile formed on her lips when she spoke and she knew Coulson was listening, "Hearing what you went through, what you did for them... I... it made me think about myself and... and I remembered that I'm not really the poster-girl for being a stand up kind of a person... I've never really had a chance to be _good_ or to be so selfless and do things for others without having to think how it would help me in any way nor do I know what it means like to be a part of something bigger and so... so... real as protecting the Earth and everyone living on this planet from aliens and Norse Gods and all the other things out _there_."

It was probably the very first point of Skye mentioning not having a chance to be good that had Coulson lean forward, wanting to say something but she shook her head and stopped only to catch her breath before going on with her explanation.

"I know what you're going to say A.C. I'm not just talking about my past because you already know about that... lying my way into the team, hiding my secret from you and the others, betraying your trust, disobeying orders... the whole deal. There's more to it though. These last few days that have gone by ever since we got back from Monaco, I've been thinking about it now and I realize that my behavior has seemed so... childish and unnecessary and selfish because I never once stopped to think how that night must have affected you. I saw you there, on the balcony and..." Wincing as she remembered her attempts to seduce Daniel Quinn, she moved past that, "And even though I never meant to, I know it seems like I've been avoiding everyone since we got back even though that wasn't what I wanted... when I heard you talk about how your life was in the past, I saw the unwavering loyalty you have towards S.H.I.E.L.D. and your belief in the ideals of protecting people and fulfilling your duty... you're brave and yet merciful at the same time, you have a sense of knowing how people are like and want to do the right thing by them... you've been through so much and you still have hope that the world can be a better place, a safe place and someone like you deserves to be happy after all that you've done." Skye paused for a moment again and closed her eyes before finishing what she had started. "Regardless of what my feelings are, I shouldn't have sprung the kiss on you and even though I'm not sorry for that and I don't regret it... but... you're my boss and mentor and you're twice my age and the rules do forbid things like inter-relationships for good reason and I don't know if... maybe... maybe sometimes some things aren't meant..."

This time, Coulson didn't wait for Skye to interrupt him because the moment he heard her acknowledge that she did _truly_ have feelings for him and heard what she was trying to say, he understood what she was going through and he stopped her mid-sentence as he held a finger to her lips. Now that he was aware of everything, Coulson decided that it was time he spoke up because no matter what Skye tried to tell him, he knew that she was unsure of herself and he would be the one to remind her that she was more important than she believed and good and deserving of happiness herself and all the love he could possibly give her because even if they seemed like a mismatched or unexpected pair, they were like pieces of a puzzle that fit together.

"I know what you're going to say and before you finish that last sentence... let me say what I have to first and then... we'll see where to go from there." He said as he waited for Skye's approval in the form of a nod and removed his finger from her lips, knowing she wouldn't interrupt him either.

"You may be right about everything you just said about yourself but what you don't remember is that there is so much more to who you are Skye... you've changed from the person you were on the day I first met you. You're a kind person, caring and very resourceful. You have a way with people too because you feel empathy differently than others, you never give up on anyone or anything because you believe that if there is a chance to help someone you'll find it, you're clever and think outside the box which has been proven a very useful talent many times, but more than that... you're compassionate. You wear your heart on your sleeve and are honest about your thoughts and feelings. And given all _you_ have gone through in your life, knowing what you know about yourself, even if it feels less than what you expected, you also hold on to the hope that one day you'll find out the truth about who you are and who your parents were... you have a strength inside yourself that you're not always aware of but I've seen it firsthand and I know that you believe that everyone deserves a second chance, to be a better person than they were in the past... as for everything you said about me... there may be a few things you still don't know." Coulson paused then, waiting for only a minute because he was ready to tell Skye everything.

All this while, Skye had been listening patiently to Coulson's words and tried her best not to let him see the tears forming in her eyes which was hard since they were still staring at each other. Without saying a word, he reached out to wipe away her cheeks and smiled when he felt her hands intertwined in his.

"You mentioned the things you've done in the past and how you've changed since then... what you don't know is that I wasn't always the way you see me today. I've been trying to change myself from the day we both realized that there's more to what meets the eye when it comes to S.H.I.E.L.D. and its secrets and when I learned how I was saved. You said that you've unintentionally ended up avoiding me but the truth is, I was doing the same... its hard for me to completely distance myself from you because we're still a team and we work together, but... today... when I went to that meeting, I discovered something more than what I knew about who I really am... and I don't even remember it. This actually started the day we went to the Hub for our mission debriefing and May came to me later that evening with something she had found... part of the reason why Maria met me in Illinois was to confirm my doubts..." Coulson watched Skye's reaction and saw that she was looking worried, he needed to tell her the truth now. "There was a video... about Project T.A.H.I.T.I. when it initially began... as a way to help save the Avengers if it ever came to that... and... I saw that the person who gave the orders for this experimental treatment... was... me."

"How is that possible?" Skye spoke up at last, her voice a soft whisper, "How do you not remember?" It was the only thing on her mind just then.

"They must have wiped it from my memory... the video showed that I decided the risk was too dangerous and I told Director Fury I would be resigning, the project needed to be shut down." A shadow of pain crossed his features then and Skye noticed it for she used her free hand to cup his cheek and look at her once again.

"I didn't know when I was going to tell you this and I admit to being a little worried about how you would react once you found out the truth; but we can get to that later... my point is... that I'm not as perfect as you think I am Skye... I died... I've had my belief in the system shaken... things are changing and the world we live in is a dangerous place... but if there's ever any hope of happiness, I know that I've found that in you. No matter what our past lives have been, we know each other in the present and even if we're a little broken or imperfect, we're kind of right for each other. I don't know when I started to have feelings for you, but I do know that I've had them for quite some time now and I know that the kiss wasn't one-sided and not a mistake either. If you're worried about all those reasons you've listed why this is not meant to be, then you should know there's only one reason why I know this can work - Love. I love you, Skye. And if you love me too then it will be enough... to find a way to be together, to take a chance at happiness, to finally live the life we want."

As he fell silent and waited for Skye to say something, Coulson knew that there was a very high possibility that he had gotten through to her. It didn't take long for a reaction on her part because the moment Skye had heard those three words from his lips, she felt all her fears and doubts and worries vanishing as they were all replaced by happiness, joy, and awe when she realized that Coulson did love her. Leaning forward to close the distance between them, Skye grabbed his collar and pulled him for another kiss; the moment he felt her lips brushing against his, Coulson wrapped an arm around her waist.

Once they broke apart, Skye noticed that somehow, in the midst of their second kiss, she had ended up leaving the seat and found herself in Coulson's lap. He seemed to be aware of this but didn't say anything as he continued to hold her in his arms and was busy leaving kisses down her left shoulder. It was only when she giggled did he pause to look at her and when he did, she gave him a tiny peck each time as she said those words back to him.

"I. Love. You. Too." And she sealed it with another deep kiss.

For a while after, the two of them stayed in the van sitting together in the same position as earlier; only now, Skye was resting her head on Coulson's shoulder with a big smile on her face while he was distracted with twirling a strand of hair around his finger. This was what it truly felt like to be happy and to be in love, it was only the beginning and he knew there was all the time in the world for them to spend together. Their peaceful bliss was suddenly disturbed when they both heard the beeping noise from Coulson's watch going off.

"6 am already." He said to Skye when she looked at him, "We've been awake all night." There was really no need for them to leave but Coulson could see the tiredness creeping in Skye and knew he had to take her back to her room.

"Where do we go from here?" She asked before he moved her slightly giving them enough space to exit the van even though she didn't have enough energy left, Skye managed to stand on both feet with ease; the night had been long and emotionally taken a toll on her.

Taking her hands in his, Coulson placed a kiss on them both as they walked together upstairs as he debated how much of the secret he should reveal to her.

"Well... first things first, I guess we'll have to tell the others soon enough. May already knows a little bit and I think Jemma..." Trailing off to see what Skye had to say about her friend, he noticed her blush and grinned.

"She knows everything. Or at least, she seems to. Even before either of us knew, she was already suspicious." Skye confessed, "What about Ward and Fitz? They don't seem to be aware of anything at all." She was a little surprised that both boys had turned out to be so clueless. Had she and Coulson really not been so obvious?

"If I'm not mistaken then Ward is a little pre-occupied with feelings of his own." Coulson replied, wondering if Skye knew. May had been the one to reveal her dalliance with Ward only a few months ago and believed it was still a secret from the others.

"I know, he mentioned some of it yesterday after we finished training." A sudden thought came to her mind and she couldn't help herself from giggling, causing Coulson to stop and stare at her wondering what had gotten into her.

"Did I miss something?" His hand was still holding hers but that didn't stop him from raising a curious and questioning eyebrow at her.

"No, sorry... I just... I thought of something funny just now. We've been talking about each other's relationships on the Bus and who knows about whom - May and Jemma know about us, we know about May and Ward, it sounds like something out of a soap opera!" Skye exclaimed and then realized something. "Wait. What about FitzSimmons?" Her eyes widened at that thought as she glanced to see Coulson's confused reaction.

"What about them?" For a moment he didn't know what Skye was trying to say but then looking at her expression he understood that she was asking if there was something going on between their other two teammates. "Oh." Was all he said as he stood there, wondering about what she had brought up.

"Do you think...?" She started to say but immediately covered her mouth with her free hand just then.

It was as if they were going to get the answer to Skye's question in that very moment without them having to debate over the topic; as soon as Skye had stopped giggling, one of the bunk door's opened and a sleepy looking teammate of theirs stepped outside, with complete ruffled hair and half-closed eyes, who was busy trying to stifle a yawn and hadn't noticed Coulson or Skye standing across, not more than 5 feet away.

" _Fitz_? Where is he going at this time of the morning?" Unsure if he could hear her, Skye's question seemed to be directed to Coulson who was trying his best to hide a knowing smirk from Skye.

"To his room apparently." He replied, waiting to see if Skye had figured it out yet. The morning had barely just begun and already it was turning out to be a pleasant day.

"What?" Skye turned around to the door which was still open but dark, then to Fitz who was still dragging his feet past the other rooms and back to Coulson as it struck her. "OH MY GOD!" She nearly screamed causing Coulson to hush her with his hand over her mouth.

Unfortunately, Fitz had heard her and he slowly turned around to see Skye standing a little far away from where he was but didn't register Coulson beside her covering her mouth with his hand.

"Morning Skye." He mumbled to her as he ran a hand over his hair trying to fix it. "I was just... going to my room. Went to say g'night to my girl."

"LEO!" Another loud voice similar to Skye's scream ended the slight awkwardness between the trio as Jemma stepped out of the door through which Fitz had just left; she was still dressed in her night clothes and looked more awake than Fitz but still flustered to see Skye and Coulson standing there.

"Huh?" Fitz walked back to where everyone now stood and blinked his eyes to see Jemma standing there looked stunned to have been caught by Skye... and Coulson. "Oh. Sir, good morning." He hadn't noticed Coulson the first time around but now he was more alert.

"Good morning to you to Fitz." He had dropped his hand and found Skye taking it in hers before Jemma even came outside saving _them_ the embarrassment of being caught.

Apparently the hand-holding was an obvious sign to the young agent for before anyone could explain anything as to why Fitz was sneaking out of Jemma's room at 6 in the morning or that Skye and Coulson were awake having come from downstairs most likely, together; she was hugging Skye and trying her best not to squeal too loudly as she put two and two to figure out what had just transpired.

"Skye! I'm so happy for you! When did all this happen? Have you been awake all night? And..." Before Jemma could finish her incessant questioning, there was another unexpected surprise when the second bunk door opened and Ward poked his head outside, wearing only pajama's and no shirt.

"What is going on out here? Are we having another meeting?" He asked them, confused by everyone's presence at such an early hour.

"I think we should all probably go to our individual rooms and get some sleep." Coulson managed to get an entire sentence out with zero interruptions or comments from Jemma or Skye or Fitz but the surprises weren't over yet.

With all of them gathered around in the corridor, Skye and Coulson standing on one side, Jemma beaming brightly next to them and Fitz finally wide awake standing beside her, it seemed that they had just realized the Bus was no longer airborne but seemed to have been stationary in the same landing spot as it had been for at least two hours now. Which meant that if May wasn't in the cockpit flying them to Boston then she was...

"Coulson's right. We have a couple of hours left until the next mission briefing in the afternoon so let's sleep." May's voice rung out as she appeared suddenly, behind Ward, looking completely unabashed wearing only a robe.

For about 30 seconds as they each realized what was going on; Coulson thought if Skye was the one who would break the silence first and surely enough, she did speak up but instead of echoing his sentiments that they should probably talk about this later that afternoon, her comment was directed to Ward.

"Good to see you finally took my advice." She couldn't help herself from saying so to him as she turned her giggle into a silent grin.

"It looks like you took your own advice too." He replied back with a smile of his own as he stared pointedly at Skye and Coulson's hands which were still entwined together.

That was the cue for everyone to finally let loose and they all laughed out together, marveling at the silliness of this unexpected situation they had found themselves in. It was probably not the best way for each of them to find out about the other but now that everyone was officially a couple with their respective partners, it was time to sleep again. After the laughter had died down and a rush of quick goodnight's were finished followed by another round of hugs from Jemma, Fitz, Ward to Skye, she and Coulson were the only ones standing in the corridor minutes later.

"Well that was... exciting." She said to him as they walked all the way to Coulson's office where they would definitely have a private moment.

"Just another day in the life of a S.H.I.E.L.D. soap opera." Coulson added with a wink to Skye who laughed as she shook her head, slipping her hand out of his as she turned to walk to her bunk.

"Goodnight A.C." There was one last thing she had to do; standing up a little on her toes so that she was on the same height as Coulson, she gave him a quick kiss.

"Goodnight Skye." His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered softly, not ready to let go of her just yet, pulled her back into his arms in a hug.

And so the two of them stood there with Skye leaning against his left side, her head resting near his chest with her arms around his middle while Coulson bent down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, holding her waist as he sighed happily. This was what it felt like to be content he thought to himself - in the arms of the woman he loved.

 


	11. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's also another 'first' that happens in this chapter! ;)

Snowflakes were still falling outside as Lola made her way through the streets of New York City which was covered in a blanket of snow all across town. A white winter had been predicted and this breathtaking view was proof of that as Skye stared out the window in the passenger seat, marveling at the wondrous sight all around with her eyes wide open and a smile bigger than she even knew she was capable of; taking in everything, no matter how small the details - if it was the tiny flecks of snow settling on a cafe umbrella on the sidewalk or the way a little girl was running around in circles, laughing and jumping in the snow as her parents walked behind her and even the frost covering the glass of their windows, but most of all, Skye was very much aware of the way her boyfriend kept stealing glances in her direction every several minutes or so as he drove them past Times Square and all its brightly lit colorful buildings. Turning her gaze away from seeing Madame Tussauds go by and the Disney Store, Skye focused her attention on him again hoping this time she would be able to make it last for more than just a minute. He was dressed similarly to her, all wrapped up in a bundle of warm jackets and scarves, but underneath all that she could see the woolen black turtleneck sweater he wore and wondered how it was that while she looked like a plushie stuffed toy in her layers and layers of clothes, Coulson managed to look even more handsome than he was. Sighing deeply as she huffed at the thought, she heard him chuckle when he saw her go back to watching the outdoor sights but didn't say anything to her just then.

He was being extremely secretive about the whole ordeal and had barely said a word to Skye when they had set off from Boston that morning except to tell her that since it was just them, he figured it would be nice to finally return to New York if she didn't mind. With no particular holiday destination in mind, she had jumped at the idea without a second's thought and they had reached their hotel in the late afternoon. Booked into two rooms as S.H.I.E.L.D. always did for their agents, they had spent the next several hours unpacking, following which, Coulson had knocked on her room door and merely suggested she dress up warmly and meet her in the lobby when she was ready. That had been a half hour ago and in spite of her consistent questioning, he simply asked her to trust him in reply to where they were headed. If only he had chosen to wear something other than that black turtleneck, Skye figured she wouldn't have needed to keep staring _away_ from him while they were on their way as a distraction because it was ridiculous that she was getting flustered... by his really well toned arms and chest and those hands of his which weren't even hidden with gloves. Groaning inwardly as she blushed even in the warmth of Lola, Skye couldn't help but turn her giggle into a big smile, knowing it was obvious that her reaction to seeing Coulson in winter clothes definitely turned out to be typical of how girlfriend's usually reacted. There it was again. Girlfriend. Boyfriend. Those words had flitted through her mind every now and then in the past week since she and Coulson had finally said "I Love You" to each other and yet... to Skye, it was more of a formal technical term really... because she was sure that what she had with Coulson was more than just something that needed to be labeled, and even if it had to be then she figured 'partners' would fit them best. Yes, that felt right to her. He was her equal, her partner, her friend... her lover.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Coulson asked as he finally decided the suspense of his surprise had settled in nicely with Skye not pressing him for more details.

"I was just wondering..." Skye started to say in a soft whisper "That..." She reached out to place her hand atop his that was on the gear before beaming when she saw him react to the tone of her voice, "Maybe we should..." Teasing him was a new thing she had discovered but she did enjoy it.

"We should...?" He gently slowed down as they reached a signal and dared to look at her knowing he would see the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Stop driving around the city and actually get to where we're supposed to be going!" She exclaimed in a single fast breath, sounded more impatient about this so-called 'surprise' than anything else.

Hearing Skye complain only made Coulson grin as he understood that she was probably running out of ideas to guess where he was taking her. And so he decided that perhaps it was time he revealed his plan to her; after all, this was their time together without the team hanging around and having a chance to be off the Bus and on a holiday.

"And here I thought you were enjoying yourself taking in all the scenery of New York City around you Skye." Was all he said at first, turning to West 50th Street where the Radio City Music Hall approached.

"I was... I mean, I am... but I thought we were going _somewhere_." Skye said to him, stressing on the last word, hoping she would get an answer out of him at last.

"We are going somewhere specific." Coulson reassured her, before continuing, "In fact, we've already reached our destination for tonight." Saying so, he gestured to the place ahead of them and watched as Skye realized where they had parked.

She couldn't believe her eyes at what she was seeing from inside Lola and so, unbuckling from the seat, Skye stepped out of the car and just stood transfixed in the same spot. They were at Rockefeller Center now and standing in the middle of a giant podium was the famously majestic Christmas tree that towered over at almost a hundred feet in height, covered in thousands of tiny lights and other decorations, topped with an enormous shining star. The area around the tree was surrounded by equally tall marble angel statues with raised trumpets, a dozen gold reindeers pulling a sparkling bright red sleigh and of course, countless number of tourists and families all gathered around clicking pictures and talking animatedly about how this year's lighting ceremony had been simply spectacular! Coulson walked over to Skye and slid his arm around her waist as they began walking towards the crowd together.

"This was the surprise you've been talking about? The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree! I... I don't think I've ever seen something so beautiful in my life before... I just really amazing to actually be here and oh... wait, where are we going?" In all her ramblings, Skye hadn't noticed that Couslon was leading her closer and closer to the Christmas tree but now that they were in the midst of everyone else she could truly see the grand monumental attraction for what it was. Magical.

"You didn't think I was just going to bring you here and leave?" Coulson smiled as he weaved through the people, holding Skye's hand until they reached an empty spot with a good view of the tree. "We're here to make some new memories." It was only then did she see a bag that he carried with him and from within, he pulled out a camera which was part of his antique collections.

Seeing that camera in his hands and the smile on his face, Skye couldn't help but laugh as she finally understood what this all meant and she let the excitement rush in, cherishing the wonderful feeling of being able to have an entire night with Coulson to enjoy... as well as the next several weeks until Christmas time.

"It's a date!" She stated happily as Coulson clicked a quick picture of her randomly before she noticed him but she did and immediately began to pose in different silly ways, facing near the tree mostly because it just had to be a part of this.

"Well actually... part of a date." He elaborated in between a couple of snaps and then was surprised when Skye grabbed the camera from his hands and started to take pictures of him.

"There's more to this?" Skye shouldn't have sounded surprised but she was... and curious to know what else he had planned for the night. "Are we going for a candlelight dinner afterwards?" She asked him, wondering if he was going to take her on a typical romantic date, excited at the prospect of not knowing what exactly to expect from Coulson.

"Not quite. I was thinking of something a little more private and special." There was a twinkle in Coulson's eyes as he dropped another vague hint about what the next part of his surprise entailed, knowing Skye would be intrigued to see where the night took them.

"Okay... vague much A.C.?" Pausing for a moment, Skye decided that since they didn't seem to be in any rush to move on from here, she would use this date as an opportunity for some very special memories.

It took her only a minute to spot what she was looking for and by then Coulson caught on to what she was planning to do; he watched as she walked over to a middle-aged lady in her late 30's and after a quick explanation, Skye rushed over to where Coulson stood and within moments, the two of them were having their pictures taken by the polite woman who was kind enough to click a handful for the couple. Just as the last picture was being snapped, acting on an impulse, Skye quickly stood on her tiptoes to kiss Coulson's cheek and was elated when she saw that the picture turned out perfectly. She thanked the lady as she went to retrieve their camera who offered her a compliment before she left.

"You two make a wonderful couple, he's very lucky to have someone as lovely as you my dear." She may have noticed the age difference between them but knew when she saw two people in love and that was all that mattered the most in the end.

"Thank you. I'm lucky to have someone special like him too." Skye admitted with a smile, unaware of the fact that Coulson had heard her, but when she turned around after the lady had left, she found him gazing at her and knew he did hear what she'd said.

"Are you ready for the rest of our date?" He asked, holding out his arm for her to take as they left the main Center and walked across the complex towards 5th Avenue.

"You're not going to tell me where it is are you?" Skye didn't need to know the details because what was important to her was that this first date had started off on such a great note that she couldn't guess what else was there, but she knew it would be something special.

"Nope. Just wait for a few more minutes and you'll see for yourself when we get there." Coulson spared a quick glance at his watch and saw it was almost 11 o'clock which meant things were going according to plan. "I promise it will be worth your time." He added when he felt her nuzzle closer to him, leaning in for some warmth.

"I know it will be, this has already been a perfect date." Skye sighed as they walked past the Channel Gardens that she had heard about but really didn't feel like visiting at this late hour on her first date with Coulson. "We're not going to the gardens are we?" She wanted to be sure they were skipping that.

"No, not the gardens; but we are close." Just ahead of that was where Coulson pointed to and for the second time tonight he saw Skye's amazement flickering across her eyes when she saw a familiar building known to everyone at the Rockefeller Center.

"Isn't this supposed to be closed for the night?" She was slightly puzzled at the sight of seeing locked doors as they approached nearer, not sure of what Coulson's plan entailed.

"It is; but I happen to know the janitor who works here and as a special favor to me, we're getting private access to the place tonight." Coulson explained as he led her to the glass doors and knocked twice.

Skye was stunned by the surprise when it started to dawn on her what this meant; Coulson had brought her to the Rink! Of all the places in New York City, this had not been on her list of places she would have guessed as the venue for her date with him. The fact that he had gone through the effort of making this happen and actually being able to keep it a secret from her without spoiling anything made Skye feel like her heart was filled with this immense emotions of happiness and excitement at this prospect. By now, a young man dressed in a uniform had arrived and unlocked the door, ushering them inside quietly and exchanging a few quick words with Coulson before leaving himself. Still holding his hand, she walked with him through the main entrance of the lobby which was dark all around but the moonlight provided enough shine for them to see where they were going. Past the corridor, only a few minutes later, they reached the main ice-rink which was dimly lit specially for them.

"Wow." Skye breathed out in awe as she stared at the vast field of ice in front of her, empty and silent and yet oddly peaceful at this late hour.

"I'm guessing the 'wow' means you like it?" Coulson smiled in her direction, they had stopped at the counter where all the ice-skating equipment was stored and set his bag down there, never leaving his gaze on her.

"Like? No! I _love_ this! I cannot believe I'm actually here right now... It just feels so surreal, I've never had a chance to come here before but... wow... are we actually going skating?" Turning to see that he was watching her all along as she spoke, Skye blushed a little, thankful it was mostly dark here.

"Yes. We're going ice-skating; so grab us a pair of skates and I'll just take care of one last surprise in the meantime." He gave Skye a quick kiss on her cheek before taking the bag towards a snack bar across the rink and left her wondering what was left after this?

First the photograph session at the Christmas tree and now ice-skating alone in the middle of the night, just the two of them and apparently a third suprise would follow, Skye stood where she was and closed her eyes, wanting to cherish this moment, this hour and this night. She had always known Coulson was an old-school gentleman and romantic by nature, but their first date was turning out to be so wonderful and amazing that she couldn't help feel like this was how things were always going to be with them from now onwards. For a second, Skye felt both happy and afraid; because everything seemed to be something out of a dream and she couldn't believe that this was really happening to her. That she was here with Coulson tonight... free of all other worries in their lives, for a while it wasn't Agent Coulson and Hacker Skye, they were simply two lovers who were spending time together just like everyone else did. Shaking her head out of all thoughts and determined to truly enjoy herself, Skye quickly gathered up two pairs of skates and some protective gear before meeting Coulson halfway at the benches.

"I don't think I got us both the wrong sizes because it is possible that I did but..." She started to say as she held out one pair of skates to him, "Umm... I should warn you that I have no idea how to skate. On ice or off." It was probably one of those things Skye hadn't really shared with anyone cause it didn't seem to be important but now that they were here... she didn't want to ruin Coulson's idea of a perfect date night for them.

Taking the skates from her hands to put them aside, Coulson took both her hands in his and made her sit down so that their knees were touching as they faced each other. Without saying a word, he brushed a strand of hair that had come loose from under her pink beanie and then said something to Skye that she had not imagined she would ever hear.

"I don't know how to skate either." Of course he had to smirk that devilishly handsome smirk of his as he confessed the truth to her, "So why don't we think of this as our first time learning how to skate together?" They had both successfully managed to slip the skates on and fasten them properly already and now Coulson knew he was going to rely on her as much as she would rely on him to actually get down to the ice.

Skye couldn't help but laugh when she heard the idea and figured there was no better time like the present to learn something new and couldn't have asked for a better companion to share this with. Her laughter echoed across the rink as it bounced off the walls causing her to wince as she realized it was a little too loud. Standing up with a decent balance, she and Coulson walked towards the ice step by step holding hands and once they reached the brink, she stopped suddenly. There was no need to be worried about this, skating was something that seemed logical enough, it was basically gliding on ice and if she started off with a few baby steps of walking then it would be safe. With Coulson by her side this would turn out to be more fun than terrifying; even so that slight hesitance on her part wasn't lost on him because he picked up on it and decided to take the first step onto the ice. Letting go of her hand to walk out, Skye saw him maintain his balance with ease and less shaking, observing every step he took to get used to the feeling before turning around slowly in small stomps and slid over to her, holding both hands out for her to take.

"I'm not..." Shaking her head, Skye thought maybe she should back away and possibly not turn the date into a disaster if she injured or embarrassed herself but Coulson must have read her thoughts.

"Skye, trust me. I will never let anything happen to you. Take my hands and we'll just spend a little time on the ice together okay? Not more than a few minutes. Come on, I know you can do this." He reassured her as he saw the nervousness pass her face and waited until she had taken the first step before gently guiding her further away from the railings.

"I can do this. I know I can. There's nothing to worry about... ah!" Skye was walking slowly and seemed okay for the first ten steps until she slipped and flung her arms around Coulson as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Wow, that was close!" She exclaimed with a shaky laugh as she felt her legs wobble, trying to find the balance again.

"Relax, you're doing just fine." Coulson decided to try something to help Skye reach the other end of the rink with ease, "I think you should focus on keeping your eyes fixed on me and not staring down all the time. It should help." He was shaky himself but since they were side by side, both had equal support from each other.

"That shouldn't be too hard to do." Joking about the suggestion but seriously taking it up to try, Skye managed to gaze at Coulson while he walked with her and stopped looking at the ice below as they reached the center in a few minutes.

Once the two of them had walked all the way to the other end, Coulson figured the next step was to try and get some skating done, mild gliding across the ice was the next thing that came after walking or so he assumed. Skye looked determined to see this through and so they both started off slowly with a light kick of the blades to get them in motion, with one arm stretched out for balance, she felt her heart beats finally slowing down and thought maybe this wasn't such a scary thing after all. The pace seemed normal enough for a beginner, but just then, feeling that exhilaration flowing through her veins as she noticed the cool air on her face and wondered if flying would be similar, Skye couldn't help herself as she picked up the speed a little more and tugged on Coulson's hand to follow her.

"Do you want to go for a lap around once?" He could see the calmness settling in as she adjusted to her skates and tried to remember that his balance was improving as well, but his attention was solely on her.

"Sure, we can try!" Skye giggled as she let go of his hand and waved her arms carefully, seeing if they both could do this alone.

"Skye! I don't think you should go too fast yet. You've only just started..." Coulson began to say, sounding a little worried as he watched her go ahead of him, wobbling about but staying upright for the most part until...

"Oh! Oh! _PHIL!!!"_ Skye nearly screamed when she reached the turn and couldn't quite catch her balance at the curve, but in that split second when she thought she was going to fall down, Coulson rushed up and caught the sleeve of her jacket.

After that, Skye didn't remember that she was standing on ice but spun around as fast as she could and buried her head in his chest as she took deep breaths trying to bring her heart rate back to normal. Coulson was hugging her to him and trying his best not to chuckle because she was safe and even if she fell it was perfectly normal. Still, he didn't say anything to her for several minutes until something registered in his mind.

"You just called me Phil." It was more of a statement and not a question but Coulson did feel Skye raise her head to look up at him.

"I guess I did." She admitted sheepishly, wondering why in that second of irrational fear over falling on ice she had used his first name.

"Hmm... I think I like the sound of that as much as I like it when you call me 'A.C.' Skye." Coulson knew they both were remembering the first time she had called him Phil, but between then and now, a lot had changed with them and it seemed perfectly normal.

"Really? Are you sure about that?" Skye wondered if he was just saying it because he didn't want to tell her not to call him that again, but also thought about how it sounded on her lips as well.

"Yes of course I'm sure." Hearing the doubt in her voice finally did make him laugh and by now he had slowly guided her towards one of railings as they talked.

"Okay... Phil... I'll try to remember to use it more often." She smiled and then was aware of the cool steel on her back and realized he was cornering her into a dead-end.

"Good." He wasn't paying attention to her words because even though he was glad she called him Phil again, right now he had other thoughts on his mind.

Bending down to kiss the part of her neck which wasn't covered by her leather jacket collar, Coulson sighed as he let himself free in that moment with Skye who was definitely okay with the sudden change of plans. She moaned softly when his lips grazed that soft spot under her ear and melted into him as her hands found their way to his hair and whimpered the second he started to pull back without a warning. Skye didn't let go of her hold on him but met his gaze and saw the desire in his eyes; the need for more was overwhelming her time and again but they both knew that rushing into anything so soon was not what they wanted so she closed her eyes and relished in the memory of this experience. It was only then did she remember Coulson's comment about a third surprise.

"Wasn't there something else you had in mind for tonight?" She asked, thinking if he had forgotten about the bag which was lying on the snack bar. Whatever was inside seemed important to him, even though she didn't know what it could be.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do." Coulson kissed the tip of her nose as a way of saying thank you for reminding him, "Let's get back to solid flooring and I'll tell you what's next." This time he slid her arm around his waist and headed off the ice.

In less than ten minutes, they both had removed their skates and protective gear on their arms and knees before walking to the bar. Coulson grabbed the bag and led Skye to the benches once again. She sat down patiently and waited to see what surprise was hidden inside, watching as he pulled out a thermos from within as well as a small cardboard box with napkins taped to it.

"What's this?" Skye had a feeling she knew exactly what Coulson's last surprise for her was but still wanted to hear it from him.

"This. This is our midnight snack. Some hot chocolate." He gestured to the thermos as he pulled out two paper cups, "And cake!" Opening the box to reveal a pastry in a 'voila' attempt, Coulson went on to explain, "I know we didn't get a chance to really eat a proper meal for dinner, but I figured some solid food and a warm drink might help?" For a second, he wondered if he should have gone for wine and sandwiches or something else but seeing the way Skye's face lit up, Coulson knew she was perfectly fine with this.

"Oh yes! I can't ever say no to hot chocolate! And when there's cake too then that's all I need!" She was thrilled to see that he had put together a mini-picnic of sorts for them and loved the surprise just as much as she loved the others tonight.

"Well then, cheers to you Skye." Coulson handed her a cup of cocoa before raising his own to hers.

"To us." She added and then took a sip, noticing that even after all this time in a weather like this, the hot chocolate was pretty warm.

Once she had finished her first cup, Skye turned to the cake and picked up a plastic spoon to take a bite, but changed her mind at the last minute for she leaned forward to feed Coulson the first piece with her own hand. This was what it was like to be on a date with the man she loved; there was still a nagging thought in the back of her mind and so she decided to speak up.

"I have to ask, Phil... how did you manage to come up with all these ideas for our first date? Was the rink your plan all along?" Maybe he had taken advice from the others beforehand but set it all up himself.

"Sort of. I did have a little help from one of our friends, but its not who you're thinking of." Coulson added when he saw Skye start to ask if it was Jemma, "My initial plan was to either bring you here or take you to the Empire State Building but since that's too common... _Fitz_ was the one to suggest seeing the Christmas tree as well. The midnight picnic idea was entirely mine though."

Skye was about to say something in reply to hearing Coulson mention Fitz's name but noticed that something was missing just then. The cake was finished and their hot chocolate may have been a quarter full, but once she shifted the food stuff on the bench closer to her, she stood up and walked over to his side where he was leaning against the wall and settled down in front of him with her back to his chest; Coulson immediately wrapped his arms around her stomach as she rested her head right above his heart and knew that this was probably something he didn't think of earlier.

"There. Much better." Skye sighed in content as they sat there for a while longer, not thinking about anything else; they would go back to the hotel eventually but for now, it was just the two of them resting here.

"Much better indeed." Coulson whispered softly as he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes too, this was the only important thing. Him and Skye. Together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should point out that I haven't ever seen snow in real life (yet!) and nor have I gotten a chance to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in NYC and neither do I skate so all this is just from my imagination and lots of pics!


	12. Meeting The Avengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters won't be too regular, still need to be written and I'm prepping for the Skye/Coulson tumblr romfest as well!

Coulson was busy putting away a few things into his suitcase which weren't very important for the moment; he didn't understand why he had ended up packing so many odds and ends when the Bus was parked in a secure location nearby where everything would be safe; maybe some of these items had unknowingly found their way in his luggage. As that thought entered his mind Coulson's gaze fell on a sleek polished wooden box which was nestled in the middle of his jackets atop the bed. He gently lifted it in his hands, being ever-so careful even though he knew that it contained nothing within - only memories from a different time, a reminder of what he had sacrificed... Just then, a knock on his door brought him out of the reverie as he set the box back on the bed, unopened as he went to meet Skye; she had been changing in her room next door and agreed to call him when she was ready for their evening plan's. Opening the door he saw her in a woolen red sweater-dress with black leggings, a matching black belt across her waist and a long beige jacket to keep warm.

"Hey, come on in... I was just clearing away some extra luggage I seem to have carried with me." He stepped aside to let her inside and gave her a quick kiss before closing the door behind them.

"Since when have you been an over-packer?" Skye asked him, sounding amused to discover that it was possible for him to have done something like this.

"Not always, I'll tell you that." Coulson explained when he saw the grin on her face, "This is the first time its happened in a while and I guess maybe I wasn't sure about what to pack and what to leave behind on The Bus; we haven't really had a vacation for such a long time... and now with things the way they are..." He trailed off before completing that thought, knowing that even though a lot had changed recently, he was determined to have a good time with Skye during these next few weeks.

"Well if it's any consolation, I'm a terrible packer myself. I just grabbed whatever I could find and umm... had some help from Jemma getting my more 'formal' clothes sorted out." Clothes and shoes or fashion of any kind had never been Skye's strong suit, she'd always been comfortable wearing her flannel shirts, worn-out jeans and shoes all along but things were changing now.

Thinking back to that day when the team was in Boston only a few days ago on the mission, Skye winced as she remembered getting dragged on an impromptu shopping spree with Jemma and trying on dozens of shoes and dresses for her first romantic vacation with Coulson as her friend had described it. She was glad that she had chosen to wear boots tonight and that the one person who would complain about it was in another country at the moment. Seeing Coulson going over to zip his suitcase shut, she couldn't help but notice a slender box being slipped in at the last moment and even though he knew that she had seen it, Skye didn't need to say anything; she knew what it had once held and on a day like this, if Coulson needed to remember some things from his old life then that's all it was.

"That does make me feel a bit better." He turned around and smiled when he saw her sitting on the bed, watching him finish clearing up the room. Everything felt so normal with Skye around him that he couldn't remember having a better time up until this trip. "And you look lovely as always." Coulson knew he didn't always have to compliment Skye but whenever he saw her, no matter what she wore, he couldn't help but tell her how beautiful she was - on the outside and inside as well.

"Thanks, you don't look so bad either Phil." Skye teased as she took in his new outfit again this evening; he'd only recently started to switch from wearing his regular suits to something more casual and warmer since the weather was getting colder this year.

"Thank you. We should probably get going otherwise we might not be able to make it on time in case they all decide to head out for the night." Leaving the rest of the mess scattered around in some places, he grabbed his car keys from the table and they left the room together.

"I still don't get why we're not calling ahead and letting someone know that we're coming." She had rightly guessed where he was taking her today since there wasn't anything else as important as this and even though Skye felt a sense of excitement at this prospect, she also knew that Coulson probably was a little anxious to go alone; knowing that he trusted her with something this special and wanting her to be there for support made her feel like this was how it was always meant to turn out. "I mean, I know its a surprise for them but are you sure you don't want to tell somebody?" By now they'd reached Lola who was safely parked in a secure space at the hotel.

"That would ruin the surprise for everyone wouldn't it? And besides... I haven't really... spoken to anyone... yet." Coulson said to her as he opened the passenger door and waited until Skye got in, then walked around to sit behind the wheel and make their way towards their destination for the night.

"Wait. What?" Skye's surprised tone was the reaction he had expected from her which is why he had hesitated a little before admitting to the fact, "You've not talked to them even over the phone since the last 2 years? Then how on Earth do the Avengers know you're still alive if you didn't meet them either?" She had always assumed that Coulson was the one who personally had revealed him being alive to them but now it sounded like it was someone else entirely.

"Director... I mean, Fury... he had told the Avengers the truth... its still a bit hard not to call him Director anymore..." He paused for a second before continuing, "But yes, I wasn't the one to deliver the news which is why I wanted to meet them while we were here in the vicinity. I think a meeting is long overdue." Coulson glanced over from the steering wheel to see Skye staring at him.

"I think that's a bit of an understatement." Skye joked as she relaxed into a smile, knowing that the situation around them was still pretty dangerous but even though they had almost lost everything, the fact was that they still had each other and as long as the team was intact then things would get better... eventually.

Noticing that Skye had fallen a little silent and possibly lost in her thoughts, Coulson wondered if she had been in touch with the others recently; his only contact had been with May the night before and there was little to update him on since they were taking this 'time off' as a chance to relax and recover from the after-effects of losing S.H.I.E.L.D. to HYDRA.

"Have you spoken to Ward lately?" He asked her once they'd left the hotel parking-lot and made their way into the city, "Is he doing okay?" Coulson knew that Skye was constantly worried about him and so was he; a betrayal of that kind didn't just go away even if they all split up to different countries.

"I got a call from him a half hour ago... he's hanging in there. Trying to isolate himself from the whole world if he had a say in it; but Fitz is messaging, calling _and_ video-conferencing with him from England whenever he gets a chance." Skye lightened up a little when she remembered Ward telling her that even if it was the middle of the night overseas Fitz was continuously checking up on his friend.

"Fitz is in England right now? I thought he was going to Scotland to his grandmother for the holidays." Coulson had a feeling he knew what Skye's answer would be.

"That was the original plan but Jemma's parents insisted on them coming over to England first and spend some time there before going to Scotland for Christmas. It's a whole 'meet-the-family' vacation for them." She replied before remembering a message she'd received from May as well. "Did May tell you that she's coming back to the States next week? I got a text from her in the morning... forgot to tell you about it at breakfast." Skye couldn't help but blush when she remembered that even though Coulson had taken her to the hotel restaurant to eat, it had turned into a post-breakfast makeout session in the elevator on their way to the room.

"She did tell me about it last night when we got back from the rink; asked if I knew where Ward is right now so that she can track him by the time she gets here." He surmised his phone call to her, "What do you know about his plans?" Coulson hoped that Ward had confided in Skye about where he was headed.

The last time anyone seen him was when all six team members discovered that Agent John Garrett not only was HYDRA but eventually revealed to be the mastermind Clairvoyant; it had taken them several months to uncover the truth after S.H.I.E.L.D. was destroyed and only after a lead in Boston last week which led the team to New Mexico where one of Cybertek facilities was located were they able to finally close that chapter on Garrett once and for all. It had been only 5 days since then but when it was over and Coulson had gotten orders from Director Hill that they needed to go underground for a while, Ward had taken off almost instantly to some far off place, FitzSimmons headed to England and May to Hong Kong. Seeing as how Garrett had been Ward's S.O from a very young age and knowing there could have been suspicions about himself or Agent Triplett who had briefly worked with Coulson and the others, once he cleared his name with a polygraph test, Ward disappeared without so much as a note to anyone.

"Not much, Fitz and Simmons have been trying to see if he's got GPS on him at some times just to find a location but he's moving from place to place almost every other day. I suggested to him that he should probably cool off in Vegas or something but since he laughed that idea away, I don't think he's going to be in any big cities." Skye answered as she checked her own personal mini-tracking system she'd told Coulson about, hoping to see if there was any way she could tell where Ward was at this very minute. "Do you think May will be able to find him?" Looking up ahead of them, Skye saw that they were almost at Park Ave. The traffic had been agonizingly slow at peak hour and the sun had already set by then.

"If there's one thing Melinda is good at, its finding people who don't want to be found. I'm sure she's also in touch with Ward and when she meets up with him, she'll let us know." Coulson reassured her with a light squeeze to her hand. "It'll be okay Skye."

"I know. I'm not worrying about him. I'm more worried about you." Turning to face him, Skye noticed that Coulson was a little confused by her words and so she went on to explain what she meant, "Garrett was an old friend of yours too and after everything that happened when he tried to _help_ us, I can't imagine what it must feel like." She whispered, thankful that they were at a signal.

Coulson couldn't help but react to her words, it had been hard on him to learn that one of his own friend's had turned out to be a traitor and if it wasn't for Skye's support ever since he found out the truth, Coulson didn't know if he would have gotten through this. Of course there was also the secret that they shared between the two of them that Director Fury was still alive but had faked his death to go underground and deal with HYDRA from the shadows. Adding to it was also the fact that now he was barely a block away from the Avengers Tower and was about to meet all 6 of them _and_ Pepper Potts, he was just focusing on the positive aspects.

"Its still tough to deal with sometimes." He finally answered Skye when the light turned green, "And there's so much that's happened in this past week that it feels overwhelming sometimes... but then I remember I'm not alone in this, and everything seems a lot easier to deal with."

"Do you remember that day when you saved me from the gunshot wounds... when we found out where that cure came from? I told you that even if we're in the dark about a whole lot of things, at least we're in the dark together." Skye repeated those words to him, knowing that while their relationship had progressed to something more, they were always going to remain partners.

"I do remember that. And I couldn't have asked for a better partner." He paused for a second to see a bright smile cross Skye's lips before turning his attention to the road again. "We're here. 200 Park Ave at East 45th Street." Coulson drove Lola into the underground garage where several other cars were parked and within minutes, found himself with Skye standing in front of the elevator that would take them directly to the top most floor where hopefully all of the Avengers were.

Sensing his slight hesitance before pushing the button, Skye slipped her hand in his as they waited for a few seconds and knew that was all Coulson needed to calm his nerves; he had done the same for her many times before and it had helped her get through whatever she'd been nervous about. And this way, feeling his hand in hers also settled the anxiousness she'd started to feel. As soon as the ping was heard, they both stepped inside the elevator and were immediately greeted by the voice of Tony Stark's AI, JARVIS.

"Please state your name, purpose of visit and provide identification." The voice was charmingly British, Skye noted and sounded very pleasant.

"Agent Phillip J. Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. Here to meet the Avengers and accompanied by Skye, a Consultant of S.H.I.E.L.D." Coulson responded, knowing that while his badge wouldn't work, perhaps the driver's license he carried would help with identification.

"Agent Coulson? It's true then... you really are alive! It is so good to hear your voice again sir." JARVIS sounded happy in that moment when he recognized the agent and knew that he was real.

"It is good to be back JARVIS. Thank you." Coulson smiled and waited as his and Skye's identifications were cleared.

"Miss Skye, always a pleasure to meet new colleagues from S.H.I.E.L.D." JARVIS addressed her when she retrieved her license from the scanner.

"Thanks JARVIS. It's nice to finally meet you." Skye couldn't help but giggle as she wondered what else she could say to him.

"Director Maria Hill had confirmed your status to everyone only recently sir; shall I announce your arrival to Mr. Stark and the others?" He had already directed the elevator up to the top floor and was awaiting instructions as to what he would say to Tony.

"No, I want this to be a surprise for them." This initial meeting with someone familiar, although simply an AI, had already given Coulson the confidence he was looking for as the floor numbers increased. In a few seconds, they would reach and he'd finally see the Avengers for the first time.

"Very well sir. Here we are." JARVIS said at last as the elevator finally stopped and pinged once again before the doors opened.

He had simply interrupted the Avengers in mid-conversation about their latest mission details to announce that two ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had arrived and heard Pepper telling Tony that she would see to their new guests when they arrived. As soon as she made her way across the room, a glass of champagne in her hand, laughing at one of Tony's silly stories, she gasped and almost dropped her drink when she saw who was standing there at the threshold.

" _Phil_?" Her eyes widened in surprise and awe, seemingly frozen on the spot and vaguely aware that everyone behind her had suddenly fallen silent as they all recognized the familiar visitor there.

"Hello Pepper, it's good to see you again." Coulson gave her a half smile as he stepped forward to greet her, trying not to think about what her reaction was going to be.

"Oh my god, Phil! It really is you! You're here. And alive!" Pepper nearly shrieked as she hugged him with one arm trying not to spill any champagne on his clothes.

"Yes. It's me. I'm still alive." The hug had been a surprise and definitely not what he was expecting but he did hug her back before noticing that the others had all stood up and were staring at him, with smiles on their faces.

"Agent Coulson!" Tony's booming voice broke the silence as he made his way over to where Pepper, Skye and Coulson stood, grinning like mad, "You are walking and talking then. Not a zombie or robot though are you?" He joked before shaking hands with him.

"Sorry to disappoint you Stark, I'm still me." Coulson answered as he realized he had to also introduce Skye to everyone else. "This is a colleague of mine, Skye. She's part of my team." Bringing her closer and knowing that the first person she was meeting was none other than Tony Stark himself, he waited to see what she would say.

"Skye. What a lovely name! It's a pleasure to meet you." Tony was definitely close to being drunk and had a glass of scotch in his hands which he set aside on the table as he shook hands with her.

"Its an honor to meet you Mr. Stark." Skye said in a calm and collected tone, trying her best not to shriek or squeal or scream or all of them at once. She could sense her hand shivering when she felt his warm hand touch hers but thankfully didn't seem weak in the knees.

By then, the others had left their drinks and walked to meet Coulson. Thor was there, surprisingly dressed in human clothes but still his ever-famous happy self as he greeted the "Son of Coul" as he always addressed Coulson. Skye was momentarily surprised when he bent down to kiss her hand as was the Asgardian norm it seemed. Bruce and Clint both shook hands with Coulson and smiled when they met Skye as well. Natasha was the second one to hug Coulson which turned out to be another surprise and was very welcoming to Skye, obviously glad to have a third woman in their group with her and Pepper. Lastly, Coulson and Skye met Steve who still appeared to be surprised at seeing Coulson there.

"Captain Rogers." Holding out his hand to Steve, Coulson smiled when he shook it and knew that things were okay now.

"Coulson. It is really good to see you again." Steve nodded before turning his attention to Skye, "And nice to meet you Skye." Just like Thor and being the gentleman he was, he kissed the top of her hand as well.

"I... It's an honor to meet you Captain Rogers." Skye stammered as she finally felt her cheeks reddening; after seeing Tony Stark, getting a kiss from Thor and now Captain America, she was starting to wonder where Coulson was.

"Please, call me Steve. There's no need for formalities here, we're all friends." Steve said to her as he let go of her hand and gestured to the sofa's where Coulson and the others had already found themselves, in a deep but animated discussion as they all talked amongst each other trying to get details from him about what had happened.

Skye's eyes widened in surprise when she heard him make that suggestion and immediately understood why Coulson was such a big fanboy of his, she had rarely come across someone who was so warm and friendly _and_ a superhero to top it off. It was then did she remember something from earlier and wondered if it wouldn't be too bold of her to ask Captain America for help.

"I'll try my best..." She replied back and then carefully reached out to touch his arm, knowing that the others were busy which meant Coulson was distracted as well. It was her only chance. "If... if its not a problem... I know... you, you want to talk to Phil... but I was hoping you could help me with something." Skye wondered if she was going to get through the night without fumbling over her words with any of the Avengers.

Steve stopped and turned around to see Skye fidgeting with her belt as she stared down at the marble floor. He was curious to hear what she had to say and it wasn't lost on him that she had called Coulson by his first name. Whatever it was, Steve decided that he would help her.

"Yes, of course. What is it Skye?" He guided her towards the bar where no one else would hear them and waited to see what she had to say.

"I... umm... I actually have a big... _really_ big favor to ask of you." She finally confessed before dropping her voice to a whisper as she confided in him about something very important.

Meanwhile across the room, Coulson was getting swamped with questions and comments from all the Avengers on his miraculous resurrection and his whereabouts for the last two years. Pepper was the only one who tried her best to mediate the situation and calm everyone down but once Tony had popped open another bottle of champagne and passed drinks around to the others, it was almost hopeless. In the midst of refusing a glass of something _green_ from Thor, Coulson saw that Skye was nowhere to be seen and a quick scan of the room showed that she was in deep conversation with Steve over by the bar.

"You haven't mentioned who exactly Skye is Agent Coulson." Tony spoke up as he gave up trying to get Banner drunk for the third time that evening. He had noticed Steve's private meeting with the young woman and wondered what they were plotting.

"She's a consultant for the team. Just like you were before joining the Avengers full-time." Coulson smirked as he wondered if he should tell Tony more

"A consultant! Really? So she's the tech-wiz then." He definitely sounded amazed at hearing such a young woman was so clever.

"Yes, she is. And an Iron Man fan from what I've heard." The secret about her being a cosplayer fangirl was something he wouldn't ever reveal to anyone else nor about her having Iron Man pj's either.

"Seriously?" Hearing Coulson telling him that, Tony feigned offense as he stood up, determined to see what Steve was up to, talking in secret with her.

"That's what she's said. Although I promised her not to say anything so you didn't hear this from me." Coulson knew it was a long shot that Stark would actually remember not to spill the truth to her seeing as he was a little tipsy at the moment.

"Well then why is she busy plotting with Cap all alone?" He sounded as if his pride had been hurt a little.

"Tony..." Pepper started to say, knowing that he was behaving slightly childish again, she could hear the disappointment in his tone at missing out on a chance to meet one of his 'fangirls' as he called them.

"It's fine Pepper, don't worry." Coulson touched her shoulder and she sat down on the sofa next to him knowing it was pointless.

"Well then... I don't think I should be letting Cap steal all of my limelight. Excuse me." Tony swayed slightly before slapping Thor's arm or 'Chuckles' as he liked to call him sometimes and walked over to where Steve and Skye stood, seemingly finishing up their hush-hush discussion.

"Hello, hello, hello! Sorry for the intrusion... but I just heard that Skye here... is a consultant for Agent Coulson's team! That's quite a daunting task for someone so lovely as yourself. Would you like some tips?" Tony asked, knowing he was being as gentlemanly as possible. "Or perhaps I could take you on a tour of the Avengers Tower as we've so aptly re-named it?"

"Me? A... a tour?" Skye was stunned when she heard his offer and instantly looked to Coulson who was still chatting with the others but caught her glance and nodded in reply to her unspoken question. "Yes! I'd love to join you Mr. Stark." She said to him, hoping that neither he nor Steve had noticed anything.

"Do you want some company?" Steve offered, his question directed more towards Skye than Tony himself.

"Now now Cap, don't worry yourself over Skye here. I'll make sure she's okay. I'm a perfect gentleman... or as perfect as Iron Man can get." Tony reassured his friend, his intentions were purely honorable and professional in nature. "I'm already starting to sober up so it's all good." He added as an afterthought.

"It's fine... Steve. I'll see you in a few minutes." Skye knew that Tony was interested in talking to her about the work she was doing and didn't mind the free tour of this gorgeous tower.

With that, Tony offered his arm to Skye who giggled as she took it and followed him through the various rooms spread across several floors that was dedicated entirely to his research work. There was a separate office that Tony pointed out belonged to Bruce who was basically his roommate and work-partner; a training arena where Natasha and Clint could use their weapons for practice, a peek into Thor's room revealed that Mjolnir was indeed real, after which Tony finally led her to the main attraction - his personal work office downstairs where the Iron Man suit was stored along with several other prototypes and inventions. All along Skye had been taking in everything with complete awe and amazement but now that she stood in front of a platform where the shining red and gold suit was displayed in a glass case, it was just surreal. While he talked to her about several computer programs and questioned her about what all she knew, Skye revealed a little bit about her hacking background and explained that after joining Coulson's team she had left the Rising Tide world behind and was glad for the second chance he'd given her.

"Pardon me sir," JARVIS suddenly spoke up as he activated the comms in the lab, "Ms. Potts has requested you and Ms. Skye to join the others in the dining hall for dinner."

"What? Dinner indoors? I thought we were going out for Shawarma! I need to talk to Pepper about this." He sounded a little upset just then and knew he had to cut his tour with Skye short for them to return back.

Here was more of Tony the lover instead of the Iron Man persona and Skye was glad to see that he could be a regular guy sometimes and worry about frivolous things like dinner choices, just like the others were. When Tony apologized to her for the sudden disruption, she simply asked if she could stay for a few more minutes before meeting up with everyone soon enough.

"I was hoping I could get a chance to talk to JARVIS about something." She explained to him when she finished, "If that's alright with you?" Skye hoped he wouldn't mind. This was very crucial to what she had talked about with Steve earlier and needed the private time to herself.

"Oh, you've met JARVIS already have you?" Tony noticed that his AI had mysteriously fallen silent, "Well?" He asked out loud, clearly wanting to hear it from him and not Skye.

"Yes, sir. I spoke to Ms. Skye when she arrived with Agent Coulson and I am honored to be of any help to her." JARVIS replied at last.

"Sounds to me like someone has a crush." Whispering to Skye with a grin, Tony gave her the permission to speak with him and made his way out of the lab, knowing that she probably wanted to discuss more computer stuff with JARVIS.

Once she saw that Tony had left and she was alone in the lab where no one else could hear her, Skye quickly explained the same thing that she had said to Steve. It took only a few minutes to convince JARVIS but once he heard everything she had to say, he swore to her that as an AI, he was more than capable of fulfilling his task with the utmost secrecy and would not let anyone else know what he was doing. After thanking him again, Skye bid him goodbye and made her way upstairs where she then found herself in the main room which was now empty.

"Oh great, out of everything I saw in the tour, I forgot to ask where the dining hall is?" Skye muttered to herself as she realized that she was possibly lost.

She stood at the foot of one of many grand staircases that connected various parts of the tower together and wondered if she should go back downstairs and speak to JARVIS for directions. However, a sudden movement from... outside caught her attention and she tiptoed over to the windows... no... enormous french doors which were all closed, save for one. There it was again! A tiny glimmer of something from the balcony, she couldn't see anything else since it was quite dark now and the noise from the streets below didn't help at all. Curiosity getting the better of herself, Skye took a deep breath and gently slipped through the open door, feeling the icy cold breeze of winter stinging her cheeks as she looked for the source of that glimmer. It didn't take her more than a few seconds for once she turned a corner, the answer stood in front of her.

Standing there in the shadows of such a wide expanse was a tall figure who was still unaware of Skye's presence; it was a man for sure but she couldn't quite place who he was until she saw him turn around and stare at her. His hair was long but not unkempt and had light blue eyes that were confused and he was wearing a thick brown jacket over clothes that seemed a little too big for him and yet, the one thing that Skye focused on was her answer to what she had seen only seconds ago; hidden under the sleeve of his left arm was something silver; and as soon as she saw it, she knew who he was.

"Hello." Skye decided to say something first, knowing that this was going to be one of those experiences tonight again. "I'm Skye, it's nice to meet you." She added, taking a step forward in his direction.

"Hello." His voice was curt and blunt, but he didn't move away when he saw Skye walking closer.

"It really is you... isn't it?" Blurting out the words that were in her mind, Skye knew that she probably didn't have to sound like a fangirl around him as well but she couldn't help herself.

"You know me?" The man continued to stare at her, not knowing who she was or how she knew him. He had not told her his name, but then again, he knew how she recognized him.

"I do." She paused for a second, wondering if she should say how and then continued, "I was at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy at the start of this year and..." Skye found that she'd hesitated again.

"You're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent?" Hearing that name made him snap his gaze up to her and he slowly backed away, not sure of how to react anymore.

"No, no. I'm just... just a consultant. I work with Agent Coulson and his team. I was never a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not officially anyway." Knowing that this was possibly a bad idea to bring up the name to him, Skye hoped she could get the words out faster this time around.

"So... you... you were there when it happened." He stated, thinking that she was talking about the Triskelion incident.

"No. I wasn't. And that's not how I know you either." Skye said to him. "This happened before... I went to the Academy where all the students study and learn to become agents. That's where I know you from." She explained, feeling perfectly safe around him out here, he seemed to be in a better state of mind now and she finally believed that this was really happening.

"I still don't understand." The man was clearly confused and did not know what Skye was talking about. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy told her about him?

"They... there's this... memorial of sorts... that each Academy has. It... umm..." By now Skye knew that he had no idea about this and briefly thought about how he would react. "It... it's the wall of Valor. Everyone who died in the line of duty has their name written. I saw it myself, your name was there. Under a black star, Bucky Barnes."

For a minute or two, there was silence all around them as Skye waited to see... Bucky... process what she had just told him and what it meant. The cold was long forgotten; they were simply two people standing at the balcony of Avengers Tower having a discussion about his past and about how he had been remembered to this day after all that had happened exactly 70 years ago. Skye watched as the man standing beside her understood the meaning of her words and saw tears starting to form in his eyes; he had clearly not known about this and possibly thought that she knew him because of the one thing that had defined him ever since that day when he had died. And in that moment, she may not have known what he was going through, or what he was thinking, but Skye had heard about it all from Coulson and realized that even though he seemed to be staying here, Bucky still preferred to be alone. Without thinking twice, she placed her hand on his arm... the left one... it wasn't covered up anymore but she didn't mind. It had never occurred to her that she would ever get the chance to meet him along with the Avengers and now that she was here, Skye knew that this was a first time she'd always remember.

"Do... do you... do you think that it's still there?" His voice was softer now, not a whisper, but filled with emotion. "You said this happened before... but... what about today?" Glancing to look at Skye properly for the first time ever since she had found him, Bucky saw a young woman who looked at him in a way that very few people did.

"I... I'm not sure." Frowning as she thought about it, Skye was suddenly aware that she had never considered the possibility that the star _wouldn't_ be there even after everything that had happened in April. "I haven't really... gone back to the Academy yet." She needed to be honest with him because he deserved to know.

"I guess it is possible they removed it." Bucky finally said the words out loud, as another thought came to mind, could it be that this girl... Skye... was feeling sad for him and because of it, tried to seem as if she was treating him normally?

"Or maybe it hasn't been touched at all since that day." Skye knew that he still blamed himself for the disaster at the Triskelion as everyone had called it, but to her, what happened in the past didn't matter. She saw a different man now and wondered how she could help him.

"Wouldn't that be swell." Bucky sounded sarcastic as he stuffed his hands inside the jacket pockets, gazing up at the sky now. He never looked down to see the city below, his fascination had always been in the stars.

"We could always go and take a look?" It sounded like a silly suggestion seeing as how she had used the word 'we' which implied that Bucky would leave the Tower, leave New York City and visit the Sci-Tech Academy to see for himself if it was really true.

"Are... are you saying that you would come with me?" Bucky's tone was more surprised at the idea of Skye being there with him than the suggestion of him going there personally. "And Steve?" He added, knowing that if he would ever go anywhere, he wouldn't do it alone.

"I don't, I mean... I wouldn't want to intrude or anything..." Skye started to say, this was something important to him and if Steve would be there then she didn't see how her presence would change anything.

"It would be nice to have you join us." He cut her off without letting her finish the sentence. "If you don't mind?" Bucky didn't know why but he was starting to feel like maybe he could have found another friend in Skye tonight.

"Well... I... I don't mind... but I'd have to ask Phil... Agent Coulson and umm... see what he says." It was funny how she kept calling him 'Phil' that day when she'd only just started it the night before but it felt so normal to her that she'd forgotten the times she used to call him 'A.C.'

"You can ask him now." Indicating to the doors behind them, Skye and Bucky both turned around to see that Coulson and Steve were heading their way.

"Oh! Yeah... yeah, I guess I can." Noticing that they were approaching the two of them, Skye hoped that her fumble about calling Coulson by his first name in front of Bucky didn't mean anything to him.

"Skye! There you are, we've been looking all over for you. Tony said you were talking to JARVIS downstairs and then when you didn't show up for dinner, Pepper thought you might have gotten lost." Steve was relieved to see her with Bucky and figured that this could be the chance he needed to get his friend to leave the balcony and come with them to the dining hall.

"I did get lost, but then I met Bucky... and... we just... started talking a little." She told the two of them, "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"Don't worry about that Skye, we can all go back to dinner together now, what say Buck?" Turning his attention to his friend, Steve hoped that Bucky would spend some time away from the balcony and be around the others.

"Maybe you should go without me. I'm not feeling very hungry." Shuffling his feet in the snow that had settled there, Bucky tried to avoid meeting Steve's eyes as he spoke.

It was not lost on Skye that Steve was trying his best to help Bucky out from this isolation and she understood that he was only trying to do everything he could to make things feel normal again for all of them.

"Would you join us for dinner if I say please?" She asked him, knowing there was no harm if she tried. "This way we can all make plans for that thing we just discussed." It was a bargain of sorts, Skye realized; if Bucky came with them then she would ask Coulson about going to Sci-Tech and perhaps the four of them could go together. "Please?" She added.

To her surprise and the other two men behind her, Bucky laughed heartily when he heard Skye trying to bribe him and he couldn't remember the last time something like this had happened. Coulson and Steve exchanged shocked looks between each other before turning their attention to Skye who was beaming when Bucky finally agreed to her conditions. It happened all so suddenly that by the time the two of them had walked back inside the house, Coulson and Steve were still standing in the same spot wondering what had just taken place.

"Wow. That... that was unexpected." Steve finally said out loud, staring at the doors as he heard Skye's voice fading away as they got further from the balcony.

"What exactly just happened?" Coulson was equally puzzled and amazed at the same time; Skye clearly seemed to have achieved the impossible and this was on the first night of meeting Bucky.

"I don't know. Whatever it was... that girl is something else." There was a hint of pride in Steve's voice, he also had just met Skye tonight but after their previous discussion, he knew that she was different. "No one has been able to make him laugh in a very long time... he rarely manages a smile even on good days!" He exclaimed to Coulson.

"She sure is... something special." Nodding his head in agreement, Coulson didn't catch on that Steve was now staring at him and when he did, it was a light-bulb moment to realize what had been implied by his tone.

"You love her don't you Coulson?" It was a direct question but all night long, Steve had been observing them both, even if they had spent most of it apart; the little details he'd picked up was what had helped him put two and two together.

"I do." If there was someone he was going to tell first, Coulson was glad that it was Steve. "I've loved her for a long time now."

"And she loves you." Steve said it more as a statement than a question but the concern he had for Coulson was genuine.

"Yes, she does. It's only been a week... but we're taking things slow. One step at a time. I know it seems..." Coulson strayed, wondering what he should say to the man standing next to him.

"Right. It seems right and it feels right. That's how I see it." Finishing the sentence for his friend, the two of them began to make their way back to the dining hall as well.

As Coulson walked through the corridors of the Avengers Tower, he couldn't help but think about how Steve had described his relationship with Skye; those words were true and in the end, it was the only thing that was important. Their love was right and because they believed in it, he knew that just like Steve, whenever the others learned about them being together, they would also know it was right. Smiling to himself at that thought once they'd rejoined everyone in the dining hall where everyone had been waiting, Coulson didn't think twice before seating himself in the empty chair next to Skye. In between many more talks with Pepper and Natasha, Bucky and Steve, the two of them found a moment to themselves when Skye found her hand in his and with a gentle squeeze, they both knew that as long as they had each other then everything would be all right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick facts: The story takes place after episode 1x15 in canon but everything after, even if its connected, is still my altered version. The events of Winter Soldier took place in April and chapter 1 started in November so in between, when HYDRA was revealed, the team didn't find out about Garrett immediately and SHIELD was still operating from the shadows. Ward is not evil, won't be changing that in this story. Bucky has been found by Steve and is living with the Avengers but the story won't be connecting to AoU!


	13. New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not updating this story earlier, was waiting to complete it first! The last batch of chapters are here at last, starting with Coulson & Skye's first New Year's Eve celebration together... slightly 'M' rated!

Midnight had already come and gone, bringing the start of a new year to everyone gathered at the Avengers Tower for Tony Stark's annual New Year's Eve Party; a year that would prove to be full of happiness, love, peace and the occasional save-the-world experiences that they would all face together... a big, really big family of superheroes and super-agents alike. They were the roots of a new beginning for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Skye might not have been able to put all these feelings into so many words and she knew there was no need to say anything because all the others who were by her side knew and understood what she was going through when the clock finally struck midnight and cheers erupted as they all wished each other with hugs and kisses abound! To her luck, she and Coulson had managed to find themselves standing under mistletoe in that moment and even though it was an old-school tradition, Skye thought it was perfect for their first kiss as an official couple. Tonight was the night where Coulson had introduced her as his 'better half' after deciding together that there wouldn't be any other better time than this. And now, here they were sitting side by side on the love seat listening to the soft music that their DJ had switched to before passing out himself on a billiard table nearby.

"Do you think he's going to be okay in the morning?" Skye's voice dropped to a whisper as she spoke to Coulson who was busy playing with her hair and not paying attention to the others still there.

"Who?" Pausing for a moment to glance around and notice Thor unconscious but smiling happily to himself as he slept soundly. "Thor? I think he'll be just fine. As long as Pepper has an unlimited supply of coffee ready by the time he wakes up there's nothing to worry about. Asgardians are known for their taste in drinks." Coulson chuckled as he remembered an old memory from the first time he'd met Thor.

"I'll say, he tried to get me drunk on something called 'Green Eyed Monster' and if it wasn't for you I'd probably be passed out here too!" Exclaiming out loud as she sat up, Skye scanned the room to see who else was around.

"That's a drink called 'The Incredible Hulk' too if I remember correctly, and thanks to Bruce himself for telling me I came to your rescue." Coulson said to her, "Who are you looking for Skye? FitzSimmons left for the hotel a little while ago with Maria." It hadn't been much of a surprise when they both had met Director Maria Hill at the party along with some new faces - Sam Wilson and Colonel James Rhodes.

"Huh? Oh... no, I was just checking to see where Bucky went. He was still his usual quiet self tonight." Skye mused out loud as she recalled meeting him several hours ago in the exact same place that they'd met the first time, outside in the balcony, keeping to himself as always.

"Well I think you did change that a little bit, wouldn't you say?" Resting his head on her shoulder as he held her in his arms, Coulson knew that she was worried about him. "After all, its not every day that you'll find him dancing with a lovely woman as yourself." Skye had been nothing but patient in keeping her friendship with Bucky growing and improving in these last three weeks and he was amazed at how much progress she and Steve had made together.

"I guess you're right... it was one of my resolutions and I actually accomplished something within the first 2 hours of the new year." Skye giggled to herself as she sat bat and thought about what a fun night this had been.

Kicking off the festivities with a house party with just the 15 of them had been a lovely idea and Skye had been thrilled to see the rest of her team show up to spend the last week of holidays together in New York City; Fitz, Simmons, May and even Ward to her surprise! They all regrouped and introduced themselves to the Avengers after which it was a night filled with dancing and adventurous tales recapped by all of them as the drinks kept coming, thanks to Clint who had designated himself to be the bartender that night. Skye had spent most of her time mingling with everyone as much as she could but still staying close to Coulson; she was only now getting used to the vast extended family that the Avengers provided. She had definitely enjoyed her time talking to Natasha, Maria and Pepper with Simmons and May, having some girl time together in the midst of all the noise and party lights before the men approached them for dancing. Her first dance, or rather first _five_ dances had been with Coulson before Steve cut in for a song and afterwards, Skye had the ingenious idea to drag Bucky on to the dance floor.

"You're so beautiful." Coulson whispered in her ear as she finished her reminiscing for the moment. He had been such a gentleman to her tonight like all other nights and in spite of letting loose and enjoying himself for once, Coulson didn't appear to be drunk.

"Thank you. Are you sure you're not drunk?" Skye asked, wondering where this was suddenly coming from.

"A little; but then so are you. I just can't seem to stop myself from saying it out loud." He confessed as he cupped her cheek with one hand, meeting her gaze that illuminated her eyes even in this dim light.

"Hey, I'm not complaining. Don't stop with the compliments." No matter how small or simple his words were, Skye knew that Coulson meant it each time he said something endearingly sweet to her and she loved it.

"Good. I don't plan to." Nuzzling in closer as their foreheads met, he propositioned Skye with an offer, "It seems to me that our party here is over for the night. Almost everyone is asleep or gone already. How about we head back to the suite and see if we can't have a little party of our own?" Brushing his lips against hers only briefly but long enough for Skye to lean in for another kiss, Coulson pulled back and grinned, waiting to hear her answer.

"Why don't we try and see if someone is still awake first? We can't just sneak out of here..." Skye started to say but stopped when she felt Coulson's hands sliding around her waist which was completely exposed to his touch tonight thanks to her choice of clothes and closed her eyes as she felt her heart fluttering.

"I think we can get away with it." Coulson knew the effect he had on Skye and he loved to tease her with these touches, but tonight was different, tonight was going to be special. "Jemma had no problem in convincing you to remove that jacket of yours, so why don't you let me try and get you out of these clothes huh?" Kissing her shoulder, he knew she was probably thinking the same thing, they had waited long enough.

"Hmm..." Lost to all other coherent thoughts, Skye let herself savor this moment and agreed with Coulson, she had spent the first half hour of the party wearing a trench coat to cover her outfit; instead of the dress she'd planned to wear, a tiny disaster had forced her to change into a leather crop top with a knee-length black skirt and since it was not her usual style, Skye didn't see the point in objecting to Coulson's offer. "I think you're right. Let's see what we can do about a private party of our own." More importantly than her clothes was the fact that she wanted this too and she wanted it tonight.

They sealed their decision with a long, deep kiss that nearly left them both breathless before Coulson realized that they were surrounded by half their friends in the same room. Laughing quietly as he stood up to offer his hand to Skye, the two of them grabbed their shoes and jackets before tiptoeing carefully towards the elevator where JARVIS had gone silent until just then. After a quick goodnight to the AI, Coulson and Skye reached the basement where Lola waited to take them back to the hotel; they'd exchanged the two rooms with FitzSimmons, May and Ward for a suite courtesy of Tony and Pepper who were adamant that they accept this gesture as a Christmas gift, saying it was the least they could do since the Avengers Tower was already booked. Despite Coulson's protests to politely decline, Skye had chimed in the midst of their discussion and accepted the offer with a simple yes settling the matter once and for all.

Almost a half hour later, thanks to minimal traffic at this time in New York City which was a little surprising since it was New Year's Eve, they reached the hotel. And the moment their keycard slid in turning green, Coulson picked Skye up in his arms and walked her over the threshold bridal style. Carefully setting her on the bed as he turned to go and possibly see if there was any wine left at the mini-bar, Skye grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to her before he could move another inch.

"Forget the party, I want you Phil and I want you now." Skye surprised herself when she heard the sultry tone in her voice and knew that this was what her dream self had sounded like.

"My my, so demanding... I love it when you get all sexy like this Skye." Bending down to capture her lips in another kiss, Coulson smirked when he saw the look in her eyes; there was passion and lust for him but love as well and he knew that this night would be one they both would never forget. "I leave you in control." He breathed in her ear, fully aware that it always sent shivers down her spine.

Skye didn't need telling twice as she climbed onto his lap, straddling him, her hands at his neck pulling him back to her. She kissed him with hunger, tasting scotch on his lips and the way it had warmed his breath. Skye nibbled on his lower lip as he tilted his head to find a better angle pulled his lower lip down as she pushed her tongue into mouth. Tongues clashed and the surge of heat and arousal waved down their spines causing both to suck in air before continuing. Coulson kept a hand on her cheek while his other was on her lower back pushing her into his growing arousal. Skye moaned into his mouth enjoying the feeling. Her hands shifted to his grey jacket, sliding under it to smooth over the thick muscle of his shoulders and pushing the jacket down his arms amazed that she wouldn't be able to wrap both her hands round the top of his arms. Coulson groaned at the loss of contact to let his jacket slid down but as soon as he was free to his hands went straight back to where they were. His hand on her lower back worked its way up, running his fingertips up and down her spine. Coulson kissed along her jaw to her ear and down her neck to the junction of her shoulder, his hands now starting to undo Skye's straps. She moved her head to one side, giving him better access while her hands trailed down his shirt and passed his belt causing Coulson to nip her skin and growl. He pushed forward, rolling Skye under him so he could lean over her.  
  
"You're sure about this?" Coulson paused as he asked her once again. They'd decided to wait before jumping into bed together but tonight seemed different.  
  
Skye had to admire him even after all this time; he may have been slightly drunk but he was still a gentleman. She responded by leaning up and kissing him, her hands now working on the buttons of his dark blue shirt. Coulson knew she would see his scar and it frightened him a little. He feared once she saw she would back away from him seeing he was damaged man. He leaned onto his right and pressed his left hand to his chest stopping her from undoing anymore buttons.  
  
"Your scar?" Skye asked wondering if this was why he had stopped her.  
  
Coulson just nodded, thinking now that maybe there was no need to feel this way; he trusted Skye with all his heart and if he had to reveal the true extent of his scars to someone, he wouldn't want it to be anyone else. The slight hesitance was normal, he figured but knew that there was nothing to worry about. Sitting up on the bed for a moment, Coulson let go of his hold on her bare waist and finished unbuttoning his shirt; the second that Skye saw the scar, her immediate reaction was a wide-eyed stare as the moonlight shone through the room and revealed a sizable wound with rough contours in the center of his chest, so close to his heart. It was as if time had slowed down just for the two of them, no words were spoken and when Coulson met Skye's gaze, he still saw the love she had for him reflected in her eyes. Taking a step further than what he had expected, Skye sat up on her knees until she was near enough for her lips to touch it; she kissed the scar and heard a soft gasp escaping from Coulson as he closed his eyes before the tears came. He knew now that his once torn heart was healed again and nothing would change Skye's feelings for him.

"Phil..." Reaching up to cup his cheek with her hand, she leaned in to kiss him again and smiled when his fingers tangled in her hair as they both sought to complete the last link of their connection to each other.

Laying Skye down on the bed again, Coulson didn't break the kiss as he used his free hand to unzip the skirt and slowly drag it down her thighs inch by inch, savoring the sound of her moans as his fingers tickled her legs. She was free of her clothes now and only wore lace black lingerie while he still had pants on, although not for long if Skye had anything to say about it. Her fingers were swift as she made quick work of his belt in between kisses and within seconds, his pants joined the rest of their clothes, scattered across the floor. Skye moaned when she felt his lips on her neck and knew he was undoing the clasp of her bra at the same time; his next kiss was right in the middle of her chest before trailing down to her stomach and within seconds, she grasped the sheets saying his name over and over again, her arousal peaked and he'd only touched her with his lips yet.

"Oh god! Phil! Please... oh!" Skye could barely get the words out coherently, the heat was filling up inside her turning all thoughts into mush.

"As you wish my love." Coulson brought his lips to hers and that was the last thing she heard as everything else was drowned out by her moans of pleasure.

******

The first rays of the morning sun flitted in through a tiny gap in the curtains as Skye found herself waking up with a half smile on her lips. Stifling a tiny yawn, she turned her head around to see Coulson wide awake already and gazing at her; he had that look on his face which happened whenever she was with him and even after last night, Skye couldn't help blush.

"Good morning." Her voice sounded a little sheepish as she blinked a few times before seeing those blue eyes staring at her intently.

"Hey beautiful, happy new year." Coulson gave her a tiny peck on the lips, knowing she was still not completely awake yet.

"Mm... a very happy new year indeed." Grinning to herself as she remembered last night, Skye felt as if she could and would be smiling brightly all day.

 Coulson chuckled as he kissed the top of Skye's head while she snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his chest, their ankles crossed around each other again. They just lay there together in peaceful silence holding each other until Skye was fully awake while Coulson's fingers rubbed tiny circles around her shoulder; he was thinking of this moment right here with the woman he loved in his arms which seemed almost as if a dream to him but he knew that it was every bit real and each day that he spent with Skye, he loved her a little more.

"What are you thinking about Phil?" Skye asked as she glanced up to see him in deep thought.

"Just how lucky I am to have you in my life Skye." It was true and no matter how many more times he would continue to feel like this, Coulson didn't see the point in not telling her about it over and over again.

"Funny. I was just thinking the same thing myself. I feel lucky to have you in my life too." She meant it honestly too.

They both laughed together at that and in the second when Skye and Coulson locked gazes on each other, everything fell silent again once she placed her hand over the scar on his chest and kissed him deeply. Just when she thought that maybe this was the right moment again, Skye heard an unexpected noise - there was a knock on their door.

"Sorry about that." Coulson said to her as he broke the kiss, "I should probably get the door." Was all he said to her, not wanting to ruin the surprise for her.

"Were we expecting company so early in the morning?" Brows furrowed, Skye wondered if it was one of their friends coming to meet them already.

"Its past 8 am already Skye. We did have a late night after all." He reminded Skye with a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"I remember falling asleep like an _hour_ ago maybe." Skye teased.

Grinning at her last comment, Coulson threw off the covers and grabbed a plush white robe from a chair nearby without saying anything else to Skye. While he was gone, she sat up in bed pulling the sheets that covered her body closer as she stretched down to find something to wear; a beep of her phone alerted her to a text message and when she picked it up, Skye was distracted by the name flashing there that she didn't pay attention to what she slipped over her head.

_"Hey, good morning. I have some good news, we might have found something already. Call me whenever you have time."_ It was a message from Steve who may have learned how to use a cell phone by now but didn't get the point of using abbreviations.

_"Okay, will do. And thanks for keeping me updated."_ Skye typed back a quick reply, feeling all the more excited now. Today was just the first day of the new year and she was already having a really good time.

_"No problem. Happy New Year again :-)."_ Her phone beeped again with his reply and Skye beamed when she saw the smiley face.

_"Happy New Year to you too. And wish Bucky for me again."_ She answered him just as Coulson walked inside their room, pushing a cart that seemed to be from Room Service for sure.

"What is all this?" Skye watched in amazement as Coulson set the cart by their bedside and revealed a tray filled with breakfast and drinks for the two of them.

"Breakfast in bed for us of course! Just a little something I thought of when I woke up." He answered her as he set the food down.

There was eggs and sausages with toast, jam and butter, a cup of hot coffee and a tall glass of orange juice. And when Skye noticed the empty thin vase in the corner, Coulson pulled out a red rose from nowhere before she could say anything eliciting a giggle from her.

"Very impressive. It looks really good!" Even if it was a sweet and simple gesture on his part, Skye loved that he always continued to give her little surprises every now and then.

"I couldn't agree more." Coulson said but instead of talking about the food, he was busy staring at Skye who didn't seem to realize why.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Skye suddenly felt him watching her and looked up from eating.

"No no, not at all. I was just admiring you. I must say, my shirt definitely makes you look sexier than it does on me." He told her, gesturing to the blue shirt that he had worn last night which she had worn.

"Oh!" Her eyes snapped down and Skye saw that what she'd ended up picking up from the floor was Coulson's shirt which was a little big on her but she hadn't realized. "Huh... I guess it does look better now that I'm wearing it." She finished with a giggle.

Just then her cell phone beeped again and Coulson noticed Skye dropping everything to grab it and see the message. After a quick rapid tapping on the keys to send a reply she turned it off.

"Something wrong?" His curiosity may have peaked slightly but Coulson knew that Skye was entitled to her secrets, whatever they may be. If she had something to confide in him then he would wait for her to say something first.

"It was just Steve messaging me to say that he wanted to talk to us later today, make plans for the sci-tech visit with him and Bucky later this month." That had been the last message she just received from him reminding her about the trip with a promise to keep on working on the other thing as well.

"I'm not surprised... he's always been an early riser according to Pepper; Steve goes for a jog every morning without fail, even if its New Year's Day." Coulson mused out loud as he ate a bite of sausage that Skye held out for him with her fork.

"Yeah and from what Natasha said last night, he's determined to make sure everyone follows an exercise routine too." Skye recalled part of that conversation and remembered it had ended with all the women laughing for several minutes.

"I wonder how Tony feels about that." Coulson joked, knowing full well it was possible that out of all the Avengers, Tony was the least likely to go through with this idea.

"Beats me." Skye shrugged as she finished up the last of her breakfast and the glass of juice before continuing, "So what plans do we have for today?" She may have been comfortable in Coulson's shirt but Skye wanted to feel his arms around her once more.

"Well... May said that it would be nice to catch up, just the six of us, so we decided that we would have lunch together this afternoon." Coulson had spoken to Fitz and Simmons after making the plan with May and Ward last night.

"Are we meeting them in the hotel or somewhere in the city?" She questioned, wondering if they had to get up and get ready soon. Or not.

"You know what? That is a very good question. I think we're supposed to finalize that sometime today, but something tells me the rest of our team is still fast asleep." Coulson knew that since they were all on holiday, everyone was most certainly catching up on well-deserved sleep, especially after the party.

By now, Coulson had also finished his coffee and set the tray aside and when he sat back on the bed he noticed the look in Skye's eyes which were definitely thinking about something. If he was right then Coulson did have a fairly good idea as to what that thought was.

"Really? So that means we have till afternoon to relax?" Her voice took on that sensual tone Coulson had heard so often lately, especially the night before.

"Yes. A few hours at least." He knew she was teasing him with the extra talking and near-touches and had just the thing for her.

"Good." Was all Skye said as she tugged on Coulson's robe, pulling him closer to her as she undid the knot. "We shouldn't waste any more time then."

"Oh, I think I have a few ways to keep us busy." Taking her hint, Coulson slipped the robe off his shoulders and started to unbutton the shirt she wore.

Skye's laughter rang out across the room as she sank back against the pillows while Coulson reached for a remote to close their curtains before pulling the covers up behind them. This had proved to be a great night and an even better morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress Links for Skye & Coulson's Outfits - 
> 
> 1\. Skye - http://celebmafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/chloe-bennet-guardians-of-the-galaxy-world-premiere-in-los-angeles_1.jpg
> 
> 2\. Coulson - http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/agents-of-shield/images/36499030/title/agents-shield-epsiode-113-tracks-promo-pics-photo


	14. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost at the end now, only 2 chapters to go after this... a tiny time jump ahead, we're now at Coulson & Skye on Valentine's Day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 99% of the French dialogues have been copy-pasted from Richard Castle's book, "Frozen Heat" because the lines fit in this perfectly!

The snowfall had finally settled for the morning, leaving a white carpet of snowflakes blanketed all across the city as visitors, tourists and citizens alike continued with their usual routines in the bustling hours of the day - fresh smells of bread and croissants and eclairs wafted through the bakery shops, street vendors in the marketplace called out to the passerby's, the melodious tunes of music from performers filled the air and everywhere, couples walked together hand in hand as they laughed and enjoyed the sights and kissed each other under the sunlight that was finally starting to shine on this winter morning - this was the city of Paris, the city of lights and the city of love. In the midst of all this, outside the famous Louvre Museum, standing by a bright red corvette also known as Lola and holding a bouquet of flowers was Coulson. He had only been waiting for a few minutes before he noticed his date arriving, nearly out of breath as she carried a few shopping bags but still looking as beautiful as ever. Skye was dressed warmly in a red trench-coat, keeping with the tradition of this special day.

"I know, I know, I'm late!" She exclaimed once she stopped and leaned against Lola trying to catch her breath, "Sorry, it was the morning rush at the flea market and everything good was already disappearing by the time I got there! Can you imagine, early morning in Paris and people have finished their shopping. I mean, I know today is probably one of the busier days than usual but wow... it was unbelievable!" Skye didn't realize that she was starting to ramble but noticed Coulson grinning at her when she paused for a breath.

"It is Valentine's Day, I guess that is how everyone is today. And you're not late, I got here a little early and decided to wait for you; we still have a few minutes before the tour begins." Coulson said as he handed the flowers to her, a mix of red roses and pink peonies.

"Thank you, these are lovely Phil." Breathing in the lovely scent of her bouquet, Skye almost forgot that she had to leave all her bags inside the car, including one which had a gift she'd bought for him.

"This is just the first of many gifts for you. There's a lot more from where these came." He knew that Skye didn't mind the typical roses and chocolates and teddy bears but because this was their first valentine's day together, Coulson wanted to make this extra special for her and so decided on only flowers. For now. He had a few surprises in mind and even though they had the whole day ahead of them, he just hoped the final plan would go smoothly.

"Really? That's definitely one way of getting a girl curious, but you're not going to tell me what these other gifts are yet, are you?" Skye was curious to know more but also enjoyed the giddy happiness she'd been feeling since waking up in their hotel room only a few hours ago.

"That would ruin the fun of a surprise filled day for us wouldn't it?" Was all Coulson said to her, as they headed across the street to the museum.

The two of them had been in Paris only for this weekend, having arrived on Thursday night with the rest of their team who were on a mission of their own but perhaps had managed to find some free time today. Skye knew from Coulson that the others had been put up in different hotels all across the city so that each of them could spend some time with their respective partners and thanks to Tony, they had found themselves checked into the Washington Opera Hotel. It was famously known as being a private townhouse to Madame de Pompadour when she lived there in the 18th Century; and the quaint suite was perfect for a Paris experience. In the two days since reaching here, Coulson had taken Skye to see all the famous sights - the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Place Dauphine, Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and together they even walked through the gardens at Le Palais Royale which was located next to their hotel. And for Valentine's Day, Coulson had proposed a slightly similar plan to Skye that morning at breakfast at  Café de Flore; he wanted to balance their day between visiting famous landmarks with recording all of their moments and memories in more ways than just pictures. Instead of elaborating on the details, Coulson had merely told her to meet him outside the Louvre after she'd finished her shopping at the  Marché aux puces .

And so here they were, strolling through the grand museum and taking in the magnifique sights of all the paintings and sculptures in each gallery and exhibit; from the Passage Richelieu to Carrousel du Louvre passing through the Porte des Lions and ending up at the Tuileries Garden when it was close to noon. Energized by all the excitement of seeing everything that the museum had to offer and clicking pictures after pictures, Skye was completely ecstatic throughout the trip.

"Wow, that was... just... breathtaking! I cannot believe I've finally been  _ inside  _ the Louvre!" Beaming brightly as she walked past the fountain located at the center of the Gardens, even though there was snow all around, the place was bustling with tourists and Skye couldn't help but marvel at how different, fresh, magical this city made her feel; it was as if the air around them had come to life and helped spread love everywhere. This truly did feel like a place they could call Heaven on Earth, no matter how cheesy it sounded, for it was true.

"You said that yesterday when we went to Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe the day before that." Coulson noted, knowing full well he was only teasing her; seeing Skye so happy and free from all the worries that came with their lifestyle, it was something he always wanted to see and given how much they'd gone through in the last month itself, he knew that there'd be happy times for them as long as they were together.

"Yes, well this is my first time in Paris. Actually, it's the first time I've ever been outside of America before, so let me have this moment." Skye pretended to scoff before she continued, "So where to next?" She asked him, wondering if perhaps they would have a chance to see the Eiffel Tower before heading back home tomorrow.

"Next up on the list of tourist attractions to visit would be the  Sacré-Cœur Basilica and then we'll break for lunch." By now, they'd reached Lola and Coulson also noticed a slight snowfall starting, but he wasn't worried that it would change any of their Valentine's plans for the day. 

"What about our gifts?" Gesturing to everything that was gathered up in a pile on the backseat, Skye wondered for a brief moment if she had found the right present for Coulson.

Surely after spending so much time with him, she knew that he was a man with an eye for antique and vintage items, someone who appreciated the beauty of anything and everything rare. Her mind did wander off to the thought of messaging May for a second opinion but then she realized that Ward was most likely treating her to a romantic day in Paris as well; maybe even had taken her to the Eiffel Tower already. Jemma would be busy doing her own thing with Fitz too and Trip was probably enjoying the single life and meeting young Parisian women. Skye knew that they were all going to meet up the following day for some last minute shopping in the morning and at the Palais Garnier Opera House later in the evening, so she decided to go with what her instincts had told her when she found Coulson's gift.

"How about we exchange them at lunch? I thought we could try a new restaurant today, there's a wonderful little place Pepper told me about when I spoke to her earlier; it's called "Brasserie Lipp" on Boulevard Saint Germain." Coulson already had his gift for Skye with him in his jacket pocket but wanted to wait for the right time when they had a private moment together.

"It sounds lovely. I've been meaning to ask Phil, how is Pepper doing now? I hope it wasn't anything too serious." Skye had been thinking about all their friends back home; the Avengers had been busy ever since the previous month, there was still plenty of work to be done for them - HYDRA bases to be discovered and dismantled, rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. together, reinventing themselves, saving the world one small step at a time. And in the midst of that, if their personal lives changed even a little, she knew that they would all work together to make it work.

"She's much better, Tony and Natasha have her confined to bed-rest for a few days now and that's definitely helping. And I think, considering the lecture she gave me for taking you on a romantic weekend to Paris while we also had a mission, Pepper is going to make a full recovery and fast." Remembering that he'd had to calm his old friend down in the middle of their conversation and remind her that even the slightest of stress wasn't good for her, Coulson couldn't help but grin when he realized that this was normal and imagined what it was like for Tony.

"That's good to know. I'm glad she's going to be okay." Smiling at him, Skye found herself getting lost in her own thoughts again as she dreamed about what it would be like in the future, with her and Coulson.

A short 20 minute drive later found them in Montmartre where the Basilica stood tall and majestic atop the hill. After having parked Lola at a safe spot, Coulson and Skye walked up to it; from the outside, the monument was grand in its shining white glory, there were three major domes, and the statues of King Saint Louis and Joan of Arc being visibly clear as they got nearer. Once they were inside however, both of them felt an instant rush of peacefulness surrounding them; there was a serenity that was hard to describe but as they passed the other people inside and took in the beauty of each and every pillar crafted there, gazed at the brilliance of the mosaic mural on the ceiling, Skye knew that this was one of the best places she would ever visit in her life and was glad she had Coulson by her side. Even though photography was not permitted here inside the chapel, she was determined to make sure that the others came here to witness this wonder personally. They stayed there for a while and even exchanged a few words with other tourists who had come from all over the world, before heading back towards the restaurant.

"This is quite nice isn't it?" Coulson commented as the waiter led them to a private booth inside the restaurant and said he would return in a few minutes to take their order's; leaving two glasses of water and some bread for the table.

"It is; and you know what? I have noticed that most of the restaurants here are like tiny cafe's but each one is so different than the other! I like it better than eating inside those big hotels, this is what life in Paris should be about." Skye beamed as she scanned the menu, wondering how she would decipher all the dishes that were written in French.

"Why don't I order something for the both of us?" He had noticed Skye biting her lower lip as she tried to make sense of the menu and smiled; this was one of the _different_ things about this restaurant - everything was written and spoken in perfect French.

"I think that's best. Otherwise I'll end up ordering dessert for appetizers and soup for main course!" She exclaimed with a tiny laugh, "You seem to understand what's written here better than I do anyway." Skye was curious though; was Coulson going just order lasanga and eclairs for them?

When the waiter returned with a pen and notepad, she got her answer and was completely amazed by what happened next. If she didn't know any better, Skye wouldn't have believed that the man sitting across the table from her really was Phil Coulson.

_"Bonjour monsieur, je voudrais deux petits plats, s'il vous plait. La salade de frisee et apres les pommes de terre a l'huile avec les harengs marine. Merci."_ It was perfectly flawless fluent French and Skye literally had no idea what Coulson had just said.

"Oui monsieur." And taking the menu's away, the waiter left the two of them alone once again.

"What was that?" Skye blurted out when she finally realized what had just transpired in front of her eyes, even if she was still processing it all.

"What was what Skye?" Confused by the question, Coulson leaned forward and took her hand in his, wondering what she was talking about.

"That!" Waving her hand and gazing at him in awe, "You... you just ordered lunch for us... in French! And I'm guessing it was a real, proper lunch and not something like croissants!" She was pleasantly surprised. And then some.

"Oh. I see what you mean." He hadn't really found a chance to actually speak in French a lot in these last few days; save for the basic stuff, Coulson had let Skye try her hand out whenever they needed to talk, with the help of a dictionary.

"Well?" She raised an eyebrow at him and waited for Coulson to elaborate on this; in the past year and a half that she'd known the man, Skye had only  _now_ realized he could speak French?

"Well... nothing, I just... I learned French when I came here to France a long time ago; it was part of my training. I don't use it all the time because we don't really deal with people who speak the language in our field of work." Coulson explained, remembering the first time he'd visited this country and even Paris; it really was a lifetime ago.

"You've been here before?" It shouldn't have been too surprising to hear Coulson mention having traveled to places as exotic as Paris, but since was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. it meant that he probably had seen the world.

"I came to Paris with Fury on my... third mission as an agent. It was all about work then. I never really got a chance to  _see_ the city... until now." Coulson replied as he reminisced about the old days of being a field agent and how much things had changed since then.

"So I guess this is a first time for you as much as it is for me then." Skye was all about finding the positive side to things because she knew that Coulson probably would be thinking about his past and wanted him to know that it was important they were here now, in the present, together.

"Yes, it is. And speaking of which, I think instead of waiting until later, I should give you the first gift." Coming out of the reverie, Coulson gave Skye a knowing smile and cut straight to the point.

"Technically isn't this the second? I'm counting the flowers as one." She teased, knowing that the number of gifts didn't matter, she just felt lucky enough to have this day all to herself with Coulson.

Letting out a laugh, Coulson didn't say anything to Skye just then; he merely removed a familar looking velvet box from inside his jacket pocket and placed it on the table between them. He hadn't gift wrapped it or anything because he knew that she would recognize what it was instantly.

"Isn't that..." Skye stared at the box for a second before picking it up and turning it around in her hands, remembering the last time she'd seen this.

"Open it and see for yourself." Was all Coulson said to her. This was something important to him, more so in the gesture of making things more official than the gift itself.

Skye did as she was told and when the box was open, she saw what was inside. The silver hair-comb that he'd given to her on that night of their undercover mission together several months ago. The very same one which was an antique heirloom that had belonged to his mother. Glancing up to see him watching her, Skye smiled as she understood the meaning behind this gift; what was once just an item that had been temporarily used to their benefit was now a precious part of  _her_ belongings. There were no words needed in that moment, but before she could let her emotions get overwhelming, Skye grabbed the bag she'd taken from the car which held Coulson's gift and hesitated only for a second; this was the one and only thing she could manage to find and even though the number of gifts didn't matter to him, there was a tiny split second fear that maybe he wouldn't like this.

"Thank you. I love it." Smiling brightly as she closed the box and kept it near her, Skye reached out to hand her gift over to him. "I got something for you as well, nothing too special or big really... I just... I thought you might like it." She was starting to get a little nervous but feeling his fingers on her hand, Skye knew it was too late to pull back.

"I'm sure I'll love whatever it is Skye." Coulson didn't doubt for a second that Skye's taste in gifts and noticed that she hadn't bothered to wrap hers either.

Pulling out the items from inside, for there was more than one thing, Coulson was taken aback when he saw that Skye had somehow managed to find  _three_ books for him. And not just any books; these were first-edition copies of Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare and Kurt Vonnegut. Antique would be an understatement to describe them... rare was the better choice of word. It may have been an interesting combination, but to him, it was like finding the missing pieces to his collection of books.

"How did you ever manage to find these?" Surprise colored his voice as he wondered at the chances of Skye coming across so many different books... at the flea market of all places in the city?

"Well, I know I said that my shopping was done at the flea market this morning... but not all of it." Skye started to say, "I stumbled upon this really tiny bookstore while I was leaving, the name was in French obviously but something about it just seemed so special; and since I hadn't found the perfect gift for Valentine's Day for you I thought I'd check it out. There was a sale to buy any 3 books for the price of 1 if you can believe that! So I searched around and discovered these."

"Wow... that is quite amazing Skye. These are perfect obviously. I love them all, thank you." Coulson was touched by the gesture, just knowing that Skye had done her best to find the right gift for him meant a lot and these were an unexpected but wonderful choices. He would cherish them and find the best place in his collection when they got back to his office on the Bus.

Just then, their food had arrived and much to Skye's delight, she was glad to see it was simple and yet elegant in the form of salad, some potatoes and fish. For the next hour, Coulson and Skye chatted about the places they'd already visited while on their trip and discovered they had forgotten something. Luckily, since there was plenty of time and no specific other destination in mind, she was adamant they try and finish seeing an important part of the city.  After lunch finished, taking Skye's suggestion very seriously, Coulson drove them towards Tianmen Square where Point Zero was located. They'd missed out on the opportunity to catch it when visiting Notre Dame the previous day since there ended up being a tiny work-related emergency for them, but now they were here at another iconic landmark in Paris.

"This calls for a picture!" Skye laughed as she and Coulson made their way over to a stone engraving located on the street.

It was a small circle, divided into four sections with a sun that was located in the middle; the words 'Point. Zero. Des Routes. De France were written in each of the four halves.

"Okay, okay. Stand right there..." Coulson had started to say since the camera was with him, but Skye tugged on his hand and pulled him close to her.

"Together." She said, "I want only one picture here, you and me." Skye knew they'd clicked pictures together before, but right now in this moment, for no special reason, she wanted this.

"As you wish." Giving her a kiss, Coulson asked one of the people passing by to take the photo and when that was done, they lingered there for a moment longer, just staring at the world around them while they stayed where they were. A moment frozen in time.

Since this had proved to be the shortest visit of their day, Coulson suggested to Skye that they take a break from all the sightseeing and simply take a walk through the streets of Paris and see if they found something else to do. And so, for a half hour, they made their way through the avenues and spent their time discovering all sorts of new things; there was a musician playing the violin in a garden and having stopped there to listen, Skye had ended up being pulled into the center when her enthusiastic clapping had caught the Frenchmen's eye. She was embarrassed but tried to dance when the music picked up again, although it was only when she felt Coulson join her for a quick twirl and dip, did Skye actually find herself enjoying that impromptu moment. Afterwards, it was Coulson who found himself in an surprisingly sweet situation when a young girl selling flowers offered a rose to him; she couldn't have been more than 8 years old and her basket was still full. Without thinking twice, Coulson had bought the entire bunch of flowers and bent down to recieve a big hug and a kiss on the cheek from her. Skye had accepted the second bouquet with a laugh and gave him a picture of the moment she'd managed to capture on camera.

"It's time for your next gift Skye." Coulson announced when they'd reached the end of Place du Tertre, where the main sight to see was street artists busy at work, creating portraits of people who were already gathered there.

"A painting?" She was certainly finding that today was going to be full of surprises which she hadn't been expecting; the idea was too romantic for her to have even dreamed of but for Coulson, it was perfect and Skye did like the idea very much.

"Not just any painting." He remained very secretive about this next gift but the twinkle in his eyes told Skye that he had something special in mind.

Until Coulson hadn't sat her down on a stool in front of one of the artists there who stood ready with an easel and paints on a palette did Skye realize that he meant the gift was to be a painting of herself! It took them a little while, neither one sure of how much time had gone by exactly, but the artist had managed to capture the sunset behind Skye as the perfect backdrop and when it was done, she had nearly screamed in surprise at how realistic and gorgeous the final piece had turned out. Since this was a very delicate gift and needed time to dry, Coulson told Skye that he'd leave it safely in Lola and said they would return to the car after spending the next part of their special day by taking a walk across Pont Neuf, where the Seine River was flowing under the bridge.

"A sunset stroll is really romantic if you think about it." Skye commented as she noticed the snowflakes floating down, there'd been relatively little snow during the whole day but now, she didn't mind that it was back to the way they'd experienced it in the morning.

"Anything with you is romantic. I know that." He replied back, seeing her smiling all day long had brought a smile to his lips; Coulson was happy when he knew that Skye was happy.

"Hmm... do you now? Well... if you ask me, I know that speaking French is _very_ romantic. It is a beautiful language." She alluded to the instance from earlier that afternoon when hearing Coulson talk in perfect French.

"Yes, and so are you... _ma belle cherie._ " If it was up to him, Coulson would always compliment Skye in any and every language that he knew.

"And you make it sound so sexy too." Winking in his direction, Skye rested her hand on his chest with a knowing look in her eye; she could listen to him all day long if he spoke beautiful words to her, it wasn't hard to understand their meanings.

_"Merveilleux."_ Coulson whispered in her ear before he kissed Skye.

Night had fallen across the city and with it came the lights; at every corner and junction of the streets, Paris seemed to come alive with the twinkling baubles and underneath the starry sky during the winter, it looked even more magical than ever. Having finished another extravagant but simple meal at the Bistrot Au Bougnat at Île de la Cité, Coulson and Skye were now strolling arm in arm over the footbridge, towards Lola. She had been their constant companion throughout their trip and was perfectly suited for Paris; and now, Coulson was taking Skye to somewhere very important which would possibly turn out to be life-changing for both of them. The traffic had picked up a little since evening and so it took a while, but they had so much to talk about whilst waiting to reach their destination that Skye didn't even notice where they were until Coulson parked the car almost a half hour later. Without saying a word, he got out of the car and came around to open the passenger door for her and watched as Skye took in their surroundings with wide eyes and the reflecting lights from overhead casting a shine in them; even now, after a busy day of fun and excitement and lots of walking around, he noticed the beauty of this amazing woman by his side and so much more. He was truly lucky to have her in his life.

"Oh. Wow." Skye was literally standing frozen on the spot with the car door still open as she stared dumbfounded at the sight in front of her. Or rather above.

After spending a good three days in Paris, they were finally here. At the heart of this marvelous city was the biggest, most famous, most wonderful thing ever... the Eiffel Tower. It was colossal to say the least and lit up all the way to the spire making it look as if was bathed in gold. For a few minutes, Coulson merely watched Skye as the feeling sunk in that she was really standing at the foot of this monument, knowing that she could sense his gaze on her.

"Shall we go inside?" Offering a hand, Coulson was not surprised when Skye suddenly broke her reverie as she spun around and flung her arms to hug him unexpectedly.

"This is so amazing! Thank you so much for making this Valentine's Day so special Phil." She couldn't really contain her bubbling thrill even if she tried to. "I cannot believe we're going to see the _Eiffel Tower_ for real. This is... it... oh my god, I don't even know what to say. Yes, let's go!" Without waiting for him to say anything else, Skye might have actually glided across the snow-ridden streets towards the entrance.

In the few minutes that it took them to reach the main observation deck near the very top, Coulson couldn't help but wonder if he had almost made Skye speechless just by showing her that they were at the Eiffel Tower, then maybe what was coming next would surely do the trick. He had only a second's opportunity to check his phone and see the messages that were flashing there indicating that everything was in place. And everyone. It was time. Once the elevator dinged and Skye got out, Coulson followed her and focused on what was coming for them... the last surprise of this night.

"Well, what do you think?" He asked her once they walked around the area; the crowd wasn't too much but everyone still chatted with each other in heavy french accents mostly.

"I think this is the best way to end our first Valentine's Day together." Sighing deeply in content, Skye rested her head against his chest as she took everything in. "A perfect night." She added, even though the words didn't need to be said.

"Who says this is the end?" Coulson grinned as he placed a kiss on her head. "There still is one last surprise left." He knew a little teaser wouldn't hurt, after all, there were only a few minutes left.

Hearing the playful tone in his voice, Skye furrowed her brows and glanced up; the moment she did however, something caught her eye. There, across the other side of where they were standing. Blinking away the strong lights that were definitely stronger now that it was closer, she thought that she noticed Ward with Jemma. Shaking her head clear, Skye looked again and saw that no one stood there.

"One more? After all the gifts that you've given me today, I can hardly imagine what's left Phil." Skye brought her gaze back to Coulson who had been watching her intently but didn't say a word and his face was a perfect neutral expression; and yet, she couldn't shake this nagging feeling that he was up to something.

"I just... I wanted to take this opportunity to make a special day out of today for the both of us. I know that days don't matter, special or not, a festive occasion or otherwise, but what can I say? I'm old-fashioned." Coulson was being very mytserious and secretive now, but Skye couldn't pinpoint what was going on in his mind.

"And that's just the way I love you." She decided that whatever he had planned, she would just wait and see it when the time came; in the meantime, Skye chose to simply live in this moment of standing atop the Eiffel Tower in the arms of the man she loved.

"Right then, shall we?" Offering his arm to Skye, Coulson walked with her towards the outer-side of the observation deck where people were gathered about, using the telescopes to look at the scenic view of Paris from this height or merely enjoying the cool weather on this winter's night.

"Oh! This is really beautiful isn't it?" Skye still felt as if this moment was completely surreal; being atop the Eiffel Tower and seeing the entire city shining down below was something magical in its own way that may have been hard to explain but could easily be felt.

"Yes, it really is." Coulson may have noticed what Skye was looking at but his whole attention was focused on gazing at the woman by his side, he hadn't even turned away from her for a second.

While she was waiting for one of the telescopes near by to get free, Skye's eyes wandered around the place again and once more she found herself seeing something that didn't make sense to her; a couple of yards away, she was sure that the two people standing at the far corner of the deck had to be Trip and May... but if the entire team was gathered here then why had they not seen her or Coulson yet? Unfortunately for Skye, the moment she blinked to let her eyes adjust to the cold breeze, when she glanced back to where she thought her friends were, no one was there.

"Skye?" It was only when Coulson's hand touched her shoulder did Skye break away from staring in confusion at the empty spot and turn to him. "Is everything okay?" He asked, cupping her cheek with one hand.

"Huh... oh yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing." How was it possible that she'd seen almost all of her friends in these last few minutes only for them to have disappeared instantly?

"Are you sure? You seem worried." Coulson knew when Skye was in deep thought,and judging by the expression on her face, she did have something on her mind.

"No, no at all Phil. I'm not worried... I just... I thought I saw Ward and Jemma earlier when we got off the elevators. And just now, someone who looked a lot like Trip was standing over there at the corner with May; but if they are all here then why can't we see them?" Skye replied, wondering what was going on.

"Really? Our whole team is here? I haven't seen anybody yet... but this place isn't as small as it looks... maybe they are around somewhere." He did take a moment to check for himself to see if he spotted anyone but the crowds were filled with no familiar faces.

"Yeah, maybe." Shaking her head clear from this, Skye remembered that she was here to enjoy their last stop of the night with Coulson and pushed all other thoughts from her mind. "Come on, let's go and see what all the fuss over these telescopes is about." Taking his hand, she led him towards one of them and almost immediately found herself taken aback at how breathtaking the sight was through the lens.

Skye could feel her hold on Coulson even as she gazed at the city from up above, but when she felt a push as if from nowhere, Skye found that she'd been separated from Coulson and he wasn't anywhere near her. Spinning on the spot as she searched through the crowds for him, she noticed someone familiar walking past and this time, she wasn't about to let them disappear. In a few brisk steps, Skye caught up to the figure and reached out to grab a shoulder to turn him around.

"Fitz!" Exclaiming happily as she recognized her friend, Skye hugged him as she felt the worry decreasing slightly; if he was here then maybe he could help her find Coulson. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.

To her surprise however, Fitz didn't say a word but instead raised a finger to his lips and gave her a big grin as he gestured for Skye to follow him. Puzzled at his behavior, she wasn't sure what to do but then noticed that there was something in his hands which she couldn't see... and wherever he was headed, could be where Coulson was. Not to mention that maybe someone would explain to her what this mysterious aspect of that night was supposed to mean. Skye knew that something was up but she had no idea what it was. Yet. And so, walking behind Fitz through the crowds, she tried to think of all possible explanations but nothing made sense!

"Can you at least tell me where we're going Fitz?" Skye tried to question him again when she realized that they were just going from one end of the observation deck to the other, the only difference being that there were lesser people on this side.

Before he could say anything to Skye, she suddenly noticed that they weren't alone; about ten feet ahead of them, Ward, May, Trip and Jemma materialized from the crowd and lined up next to each other, holding something in their hands as well. As if on a silent cue, Fitz hurried over to join the group and left Skye standing alone, staring at her friends with a frown on her face.

"Guys... what's going on?" It was as if she felt a thought trying to speak up and tell her what this all meant but for some reason, Skye still hadn't figured it out.

By now, some of the people who were loitering there stopped to watch the next few moments unveiling itself, without saying anything at all. Skye was about to take a step closer to try and shake some sense into any and all of her teammates when she saw them start to do something. Under the lights surrounding them, she could make out that each one was holding onto a sign of sorts and while they were initially turned away from her, one by one, they were flipped around as Ward, May, Trip, Jemma and Fitz revealed the message written there - **Skye. Will. You. Marry. Me?**

The reaction was almost instantaneous, but not from Skye; all the couples and children and elderly people who stood there gasped in surprise and started murmuring to each other excitedly as they understood what was going on. Skye on the other hand, had mouthed the words as each board showed one word at a time, and when she reached the last part, her eyes widened in surprise when she felt the message getting processed in her mind. This was a proposal! Her hands flew to her mouth as she understood what was going on at last but the surprise was not over yet; emerging from behind their friends, Coulson strode forward to where Skye was standing. He was holding onto a tiny velvet box as he got down on one knee and took her hand in his.

"From the moment I first met you in that van in Los Angeles, I knew you were different. Special. Important. Unique." Coulson started to say as he met her gaze and never broke contact as he went on, "You were someone who everyone thought would just be involved in our work for a little time but even before I realized it myself, I knew that you were going to become a part of our lives and that's what happened. You've been someone who has challenged me at every step of the way, someone who has trusted me without question, someone who has stayed by my side no matter what came our way, someone who I cared about from the very beginning. When we met, I was different too; I'd had my heart torn apart and remade again, but it was you who helped me heal, you were the one who saved my life, you believed in me when even I didn't believe in myself, you showed me things I'd never seen before and you made me want to be a better person and not just for me, but for you as well. The first time we kissed, you ran away. The first time we said "I love you" was inside a van. This time, I hope things are going to be different for us. You've been a friend, a partner, a companion, a lover... and I know this must seem very sudden to you, but I've never been more sure of anything else." He paused for a second then as he opened the box to reveal a diamond ring nestled inside. "Will you, Skye, do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Silence hung all across the entire floor of the Eiffel Tower as every single person gathered there waited with bated breaths; having heard the entire speech from Coulson, there was not a dry eye in the whole area. Jemma had buried her face in Fitz's neck as she beamed happily listening to the words that she knew came from his heart; May was holding onto Ward's hand tightly, and even Trip was looking impressed. And as for Skye... the moment she'd seen Coulson kneeling on one knee, she steeled herself to hear every word he had said to her and with each sentence, her heart beats had quickened and she was vaguely aware that her eyes were tearing up in happiness. The moment he'd said those last words to her, Skye completely froze up. She couldn't believe that Coulson was asking her to _marry_ him! And yet she could, because this was the man she loved and could see herself spending the rest of her life with.

_"Yes! You're supposed to be saying yes right now Skye!"_ Her mind was literally yelling out loud in a happy glee, having thought of all these things in the span of several seconds, but to her surprise, Skye found herself speechless. Gazing into his eyes, she saw all the love that Coulson felt for her and started to nod her head in reply.

"Yes. Yes!" Finally finding her voice, Skye couldn't stop the tears that started trickling down her face, "Yes!" She exclaimed again.

And then, the silence was finally broken as everyone erupted in a huge, loud round of applause from all sides. There were shouts of joy, screams and cheers all around! Hundreds of people over there and every one of them had just witnessed Coulson proposing to Skye; they themselves had momentarily forgotten that this was happening on the Eiffel Tower on Valentine's Day, but amidst the excitement as everyone shouted congratulations to them, their 5 friends rushed forward and enveloped the couple in hugs! People were still clapping and commenting about what they'd seen when another surprise found its way there - the sky was filled with lights as fireworks exploded in the air, casting a brighter glow across the city; a brilliant radiance of greens and reds and golds glittered all over them and at last, Skye and Coulson stood face to face with each other; without saying a word, he slipped the ring on her left hand finger and grinned as he bent down to kiss her.

"Je t'aime." It was a soft whisper in her ear when they broke apart for a breath and even though Skye didn't know a lot of French, she knew what this meant.

"Je t'aime." Instead of three words and eight letters in English, this was two words and seven letters in French, but the meaning was the same. I love you.

 


	15. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the penultimate chapter... the wedding of Skye & Coulson! Enjoy!!! ^__^

*~ 6 MONTHS LATER ~*

Skye glanced at her reflection in the mirror as she fastened the last few pins in her hair to make sure that whatever magic Pepper had done, stayed the way it was for the whole day; the last thing she wanted was for even the tiniest bit of detail to go wrong. And yet, as that thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but smile... no matter how different she imagined things would be for her, at the end of all things, it seemed as if the bride-to-be was having a normal reaction to everything on this special day. For the most part, Skye had been perfectly calm about the entire affair ever since the wedding planning began; it was all thanks to the support and help she'd gotten from the whole team and her extended family as well. If there was a grand wedding to be organized in the midst of saving the world, the Avengers would do it perfectly down to the very last minute arrangements, no matter how many... hiccups... they might have faced along the way.

"Knock, knock!" A very excited voice chirped from the door to Skye's room, "Are you ready yet Skye?" Jemma probably was getting impatient now, since the wedding was barely a half hour away.

"Yes, almost. Come in!" Skye called out to her friend as she lifted the skirt of her gown and turned around to see that Jemma was not alone.

Wearing identical dresses as was the custom for the bridesmaids, May and Natasha also walked in behind the hyper Maid of Honor, followed by a lovely surprise as Pepper and Maria Rose joined them too. Skye was thrilled to see everyone there and couldn't help herself as she reached out to hug the little baby girl whom she had been doting on every chance she would meet her.

"Careful, you don't want baby slobber all over your gown or Jemma might have a fit." Pepper explained as she gently took her squirming daughter back into her arms safely away from Skye.

"I just might! Honestly, it's no wonder I'm the one called 'Bridezilla' when everyone thinks I'm not looking. Skye hasn't even finished getting ready... must I always do everything?" Jemma may have complained off and on in these last few months but Skye knew that it was only because she cared so much and wanted the wedding to go smoothly.

"What have I missed now?" She asked her maid of honor, turning around to see if there was anything missing; gown, shoes, hair, makeup, the veil, it was all done.

"Jemma means that you've forgotten your gifts... from us." May elaborated as she stepped forward, "It is the custom of all your bridesmaids to give one special gift like the old saying goes - 'Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.' And since you already have something old and something blue, we found the rest for you." She handed over a slender box over to Skye.

It was true since Skye was wearing her antique hair clip which counted as old and blue. Opening the first gift, she blushed a little when she saw that the 'something new' was a lace garter that happened to match her gown. After she thanked May, Skye got her next gift from Natasha who removed a delicate pearl bracelet that she was wearing and clipped it onto Skye's wrist.

"Here's your 'something borrowed' from me." She said to Skye before giving her a quick hug.

"Wait! We can't forget the last part of the poem. The ending line is 'and a silver sixpence in her shoe.' And I just happen to have one with me." Jemma exclaimed, as she gave Skye her last gift.

"Thank you girls, really, not just for the gifts..." Knowing that this wasn't the best time to start getting emotional, Skye kept it simple and quick as she welcomed hugs from all of them.

"Alright, alright... nobody cry! Not now at least. We'll save our tears for the actual wedding!" Jemma ordered in between half-tears and half-smiles, "Come on, we should be heading out... it's almost time and we have to take our places too." She reminded the other bridesmaids.

After saying their momentary goodbyes to Skye, the four ladies and Maria Rose made their way from the room towards the wedding venue and the bride was left alone to make sure that she had all the last minute touches finished. Barely a few minutes had passed, when there came another knock at the door, followed by another visitor who entered and Skye was delighted to see.

"Bucky!" She exclaimed as he walked over to where she was and gave her a hug, "You made it! Oh thank goodness, I was beginning to worry you might not make in time..." Skye had taken both of his hands in hers and beamed brightly when she observed that he was impeccably dressed in a white suit and even had pinned a rose to his lapel.

"And I told you there was no need to worry, we had only one last place to visit. It wasn't far away and thanks to JARVIS we managed to find the final piece of our puzzle." Bucky told Skye as she led him towards the chaise by the window and sat down with her.

"Oh, really? Wow... I... thank you so much Bucky. I couldn't have done this without you." She said to him, "And I am truly happy that you're here today."

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything. It's been a _very_ long time since I attended a wedding... at first I was a bit... nervous, but... I'm happy to be here too." He replied honestly, knowing that most of the credit in getting him here went to the woman sitting in front of him.

"So the box is with you right?" Skye asked; she was finally starting to feel a pressure lifting from her shoulders because no matter everything else about the wedding, this was one thing which she had to see to herself and now that it was ready, the excitement of this whole day was starting to make her feel like she was living a wonderful magical dream, but also knew that it was very real.

"Yes, I have it with me now actually." Drawing back his jacket to reveal a slender box hidden within, Bucky grinned when he saw Skye's eyes widening in wonder that he wasn't letting it out of his sight.

"That's what I call dedication." She commented with a giggle, remembering the conversation she'd had with Steve a few weeks ago when he reassured her that Bucky was the best person to keep their secret safe until the time was right.

Just then, Bucky remembered to check his watch and realized there was only mere minutes left for the clock to strike 11 o'clock and Skye was still sitting here. He immediately stood up to say goodbye to her and join the other guests when she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Bucky..." Skye knew that it was time and even though she already had an escort to walk her down the aisle, she didn't want to let this chance go. "Would you mind... umm... walking with me?" She asked him, watching to see what he would say.

For a heartbeat of a moment, Bucky wasn't sure that he had heard Skye correctly. In these last several months he believed to have improved a lot; all the time he spent with someone so kind and loving as Skye had ended up in bringing about a change in him that Bucky didn't realize fully. He had always known that Steve would be his one constant friend in all the days to come, but on the day that Skye extended the wedding invitation to him, Bucky knew that she was also someone he was lucky to call a friend. And now, here she stood, asking for something which may have been a small gesture but to him, it couldn't have been more important.

"Of course. It would be my pleasure." Bucky smiled as he offered his right hand to Skye, who stopped for a quick second to grab her bouquet from the dresser before they walked out together.

It was not a far walk from her room towards the enclosure where her escort was waiting for the two of them, and when he reached his destination, Bucky simply placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before heading to the main venue.

"You look beautiful Skye." Ward said to her as she paused to gather her train and make sure that the veil was still secure.

"Thank you. And I must say that you look quite handsome yourself." Skye grinned as she looked up at Ward, feeling all those emotional thoughts coming back to her. This was her wedding day and while she couldn't have been more happier than she was today, there was a tiny twinge of sadness in her heart.

"Hey, are you alright?" If there was anyone else who could sense her sudden change, it was Ward and he knew that something was on Skye's mind.

"Yeah, no... I'm okay. Really." Shaking her head as she chose to focus on the present moment, Skye even smiled again and knew the sadness would pass by soon enough. She had already confessed about all these fears and worries to Coulson a long while ago and thought it was over, but apparently it was not.

"If you say so." Ward spoke up in that knowing tone of his which Skye knew was his not-so-subtle way of telling her that he didn't believe her.

Sighing deeply, she glanced at the time in his watch and was puzzled to see that five minutes still remained until they had to make their way to the actual wedding area and decided that it was better to get it all out.

"I was just thinking... about... my family." She said in a soft voice, well aware that she probably would start to tear up and then mess her makeup but now that she'd begun talking, Skye wanted to continue. "I... it's my wedding day, and I... I don't know, I always wondered that maybe... by now I would have _my_ father who would walk me down the aisle and.... give me away..." By now she knew that these tiny pauses were because she was starting to feel the emotions getting to her but she wouldn't let it overwhelm her.

"Skye..." He started to say but she didn't let him finish.

"No, wait. I want to say something else. I know that while I may not have my biological family here with me on this important occasion, I do have the people I care about the most around me. And there is no one else I would rather have walking me down the aisle than you... Grant." Skye meant every word she said as she met her friend's gaze and knew he understood.

"I'm honored to be the one to give you away Skye. You are my family too." Ward smiled as he reached down and kissed her forehead just as Bucky had done minutes ago.

As if on cue, they heard the music slowly starting to play. The wedding was moments away from beginning and the bride and her escort were ready to take their places. Just before they left, Ward quickly took Skye's veil from behind her shoulders and draped it over.

"Shall we?" Skye asked Ward as she felt the warmth of happiness filling her once again.

"Yes, we shall." He nodded. And then, linking her arm through his, he led the way through the gardens where the wedding was taking place.

On this bright and sunny summer morning, in the midst of New York City was a hill atop Washington Heights and on that hill, a museum was located - The Cloisters. And within was the Fort Tryton Park which spread across many, many acres. This was where Coulson and Skye had chosen to get married. It couldn't have been more perfectly suited for them; the ancient feel that reverberated all around, the lush trees and bushes which were decorated with flowers and fairy lights, the path leading up to the wedding aisle covered in carpet, towering arches of ribbons only added to the elegance. It was fitted for a private ceremony of friends and family, a day of new beginnings, new memories, new stories and they had only just started.

Once the clock struck eleven, all the guests who were gathered in the enclosure took their seats. They weren't many in number but while some were old friends and members, there also were some new faces in the crowd - Director Maria Hill was accompanied by Agents Victoria Hand and Felix Blake, Pepper was busy with her daughter, Fitz was seated with Bruce and Bucky, Sam and Rhodey were in deep conversation. There was also the welcome surprise of Billy Koenig making an appearance from the Playground base and a sharply dressed woman who was introduced to the Avengers as Isabelle Hartley, one of Coulson's old friends. As for the groom himself, he stood at the altar with Tony who was to be their officiant. As soon as everyone was seated quietly, the bridesmaids lined up with the groomsmen at the entrance.

"It's showtime!" Tony Stark obviously wasn't going to be the typical officiant and in his own charismatic way, he clapped his hands and spoke into the headset programmed directly to his trusty AI. "JARVIS, music please." This was the cue that the wedding had begun.

At once, a soft and pleasant instrumental composition began to play through the speakers which had been strategically placed around the area, and thanks to some tweaking done by Tony, JARVIS was able to sync the music all across. The first pair to walk down the aisle was Melinda with Thor, followed closely by Natasha and Clint, behind them came the maid of honor Jemma, with the best man, Steve. When the three couples had reached the altar and took their positions, the music stopped to change to a more suitable tune then; as "Here Comes The Bride" started up, all the guests stood and turned to face the entrance as everyone waited for the bride to make her appearance. They didn't have to wait long at all for once the song was heard, Skye stepped into view, her arm linked through Ward's. Whatever murmurs may have been whispered ceased almost instantly as each of them saw this young woman making her way to the altar, looking ever-so radiant and glowing with happiness. Stopping at the steps, Ward turned around to face Skye as he lifted her veil up and kissed her cheek before leading her to Coulson who had descended to take Skye's hand in his.

"You're gorgeous." Coulson whispered to Skye and saw the blush rising through her cheeks immediately as they walked to where Tony stood waiting for them.

Skye smiled at him, knowing there was no need to say anything else. Mostly because she couldn't speak in that moment, every inch of her concentration was focused on making sure that she didn't step on her own train or stumble in the ridiculous heels that Jemma had insisted she wear. Still, the only thing that mattered to Skye was the man holding both her hands, the bouquet already handed over to the maid of honor. This was hers and Coulson's time. With the music coming to an end, Tony stepped up.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses to join Phil Coulson and Skye in the holy union of marriage..." He gestured to the groom and the bride as he spoke, "And therefore is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly and solemnly." A pause to look around the crowd before continuing, "Into this - these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Satisfied that no one was going to say anything, Tony took everyone's silence to go on with the next step - the wedding rings. Steve came forward with the ring box and gave it to Coulson who took Skye's left hand and said the words that they'd practiced during the rehearsal earlier.

"I, Phil Coulson, take you, Skye, to be my wife, my friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Finishing his vows, he slipped the band onto her third finger.

It was now Jemma's turn to give Skye the ring box as she made her vows.

"I, Skye, take you, Phil Coulson, to be my husband, my friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." And when she was done, she slid the wedding band onto his finger.

"Well then." Tony had the honors to declare the marriage, "By the powers vested in me by the State of New York, and the internet... I now pronounce you... man and wife. You may kiss the bride!" He cheered joyfully.

Without wasting another second, Coulson cupped Skye's cheek with one hand and his other went around her waist as he leaned forward to kiss his wife. Everyone stood up again and clapped loudly as they all cheered the newlywed couple and when Skye and Coulson walked the carpet together, they were showered with flower petals. Just before she left, Skye exchanged a silent smile with Coulson because there was still one more tradition to complete; taking her bouquet in both hands, she threw it above her head and turned around when everyone gasped in surprise when they saw which lucky woman had caught the flowers, it was none other than... Melinda May!

*****

The wedding ceremony was followed by a banquet inside the Cloisters which had been specially booked for their reception which would last until the evening. Since this was a small party of friends and family, there were only a few tables located on either side of the wedding couple's main table where they received their guests and collected the gifts once everyone had finished lunch; following which, there was a round of toasts as the Best Man stood up to make a speech. It was touching to hear Steve talking about his friendship with Coulson and how lucky he was to have found the most amazing woman in Skye to be his wife and after a few innocent jokes, he handed the mic over to Jemma who wanted to say a few words as well. After they'd raised a toast to the happy couple and the Maid of Honor took her seat beside Skye, Coulson stood up and tapped his champagne glass to call for everyone's attention.

"If I may take another minute of your time, I just wanted to say 'Thank You', on behalf of myself and my lovely wife." A round of applause later, Coulson went on, "Thank you all for coming and being a part of our special day, it means a lot to both of us. And even though my dear friend, Nick Fury could not be with us today, I know that he is here in spirit in all our hearts."

A minute of silence fell as everyone remembered their fallen leader, ex-Director, fellow colleague and loving friend to all. When it passed, Coulson resumed speaking, for he still had something to say. Motioning to his wife, Skye took his hand and stood, wondering what the knowing twinkle in his eyes meant; she knew in that second, he had something planned.

"Skye... I know that you had hoped for some family to be here by your side today and while I couldn't find any of the adoptive parents who helped raise you, I was able to track down someone even more special." Coulson said as he walked with her towards the center of the hall, gesturing to the front doors where Billy Koenig was standing a few feet away.

And when he opened the doors to reveal not just one but _two_ very important people to Skye, she was pleasantly surprised to see Mike Peterson and his son Ace. It had been such a long time since she had seen both father and son together, even though she knew that Coulson had kept it touch via S.H.I.E.L.D., Mike had been laying low for the most part. To see him now, here, at her wedding reception was something that she hadn't even imagined but as always Coulson knew how important it was to have a familiar face, someone who could be said was from her side of the guests.

"Mike! Ace... you're here... hi!" Skye's eyes were still wide open as she saw both of them, "Oh my god, it is so good to see you!" She noticed that Ace held a big bouquet of roses in his hands and Mike was carrying a gift too.

"Congratulations Skye, Agent Coulson." After shaking hands with Coulson, Mike turned to give Skye a warm hug, "Sorry we couldn't make it on time for the wedding, but I knew I had to be here for your special day." He explained his absence from the ceremony and handed his present to them.

"I'm so happy you're here Mike, thank you!" Now that she had greeted Mike, Skye knelt down to hug Ace even though he was already tall enough to reach her shoulders. "My goodness, you've certainly grown a _lot_ since the last time we met Ace! How are you?"

"Good, congratulations on your wedding. I got this for you." Ace said to Skye as he held out the flowers for her.

"Pink roses, these are my favorite. Thank you so much Ace. They're lovely!" An old memory from the first time Skye had met Ace came back to her just then.

They had spent a fair amount of time together talking about comic books and action figures; somewhere in the midst of that, Skye had mentioned pink roses as her favorite flower and somehow Ace had remembered it even after all these months had passed. He was still a little soft-spoken but Skye could see that all the time he'd spent with his father was making him into a strong, confident young man already. Mike was now being introduced to the others; and she saw that there were two empty seats at the table where Ward and Bucky were sitting together.

"Phil..." Reaching out to touch her husband's arm, "Thank you for this lovely gift." Skye told him as she kissed his cheek, knowing that everything was perfect now.

"Anything for you, Skye. Always." He replied back and took her hand in his; they were standing on the dance floor already, but Skye still had something she had to do.

"I know. And now, it's time for your wedding gift too." Saying so, she led him back to their table, knowing everyone was listening in, curious to know what her surprise was going to be.

Bucky had joined Steve at his side of the table and both of them were smiling brightly. Skye took a quick glance around to see that all their friends were waiting for her to say something; she was never good at giving speeches, but when she felt Coulson's hand squeezing hers in reassurance, she figured a few words was something she could manage.

"Thank you everyone for being here today to celebrate this special day for me and my husband..." She began, "I just wanted to make one small announcement before the dancing begins because I'm sure you all are waiting for that too."

"Hear, hear!" Ward called out from his seat, he might have had one too many drinks already or it was possible he was just impatient to get on the dance floor with May.

Skye laughed as she shook her head, knowing that with Ward, he always had a comment ready; but she was also glad that he spoke up because it gave her a few more seconds to get her thoughts sorted out. The best way to go about this was to talk to Coulson face to face and so she focused on him, knowing that it would feel as if it was just the two of them together.

"I've been working on a surprise for you since a really, really long time now. And it was actually supposed to be ready by July when your birthday came around but because it was incomplete, Steve suggested that I give this to you today." Skye paused for a second and looked over to Bucky, who removed the box from his jacket and placed it in her hands. "I... I had Steve and Bucky help me out... without them, none of this would have been possible. And JARVIS too!" She added almost instantly.

All this while, Coulson had been listening to Skye intently, completely clueless about what she was trying to say; even when he saw the box in her hand, he didn't quite know what to expect. Somehow, he knew that Skye had said what she wanted to and was waiting for him to open her gift.

"Go on then Coulson! Open it already... we're all dying over here wanting to see what it is!" Clint chimed in from behind Coulson's shoulder.

Skye simply chuckled as she watched him, waiting patiently. If only there weren't about a dozen or more people staring, it might have gone a lot slower than he planned, but Coulson himself was curious to see what Skye's gift was and so, he flicked the latch open and lifted the lid up...

"Oh, Skye... Skye..." The second he saw what was inside, Coulson felt his heart swelling with pride and happiness as he registered that it really held something which had always been dear to him. There was also a sense of confusion because Coulson didn't understand how this was possible.

"I know." Was all Skye said to him softly, squeezing the back of his hand that held the box open.

"Holy... wow! That... that is awesome!" Tony suddenly exclaimed as he walked around to see what the mysterious box contained. "You actually did it, Skye. All 24 of them? Impressive." He definitely sounded impressed by Skye's ability to have pulled this off.

"Will someone tell the rest of us what this is?" Pepper asked as she finally got a chance to come over to the table with Maria Rose in her arms, having spent the last few minutes alone with her daughter.

"Skye... she... she gave me... all of the Cap cards which I'd lost all those years ago." Coulson finally answered, picking them up and noticing that there was something different about the old cards he had once collected. "And they're all signed by Steve too." He added, feeling a little emotional just then.

"It was all her idea Coulson. Bucky and I only helped her to find them; it took us a while but we've been working on this since last year so..." Steve explained as he saw the awe in Coulson's eyes.

"Last year?" Hearing that made him remember something. The day Coulson had taken Skye to meet the Avengers for the first time; she and Steve had instantly hit it off together with their private conversation, "This is what that secret talk had been about. You were planning this since then?" Even though his voice sounded surprised at the realization, it also proved that he was lucky to have a wife like her once again.

"Yes, and I knew it would pay off." Skye had been waiting for this moment ever since she had spoken to Steve and she couldn't have been more happier to see the smile on Coulson's face now that he had regained a part of himself which was once lost.

"Alright, alright... now that the gifts have been exchanged and we're all very happy for the lovely couple, I think its time we let the newlyweds have their first dance! What say guys?" Tony's loud voice boomed through the microphone that he'd borrowed from somewhere.

A round of applause from the guests all around was the only answer he needed and after shooing the others back to their seats leaving Coulson and Skye standing together, Tony guided them to the center of the hall which had been designated as the dance floor. By him. Running back to a corner where he'd rigged up a surround-sound system, thank goodness the reception was indoors, with a quick message to JARVIS once more, the music started playing.

"Care for a dance, Mrs. Coulson?" He whispered as the slow beats began, this was one of his favorite songs and knew that Skye would enjoy it too.

"I thought you'd never ask... Mr. Coulson." Skye grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him lead them.

"Thank you. For the gift, I didn't get to say it earlier..." Coulson said as he swayed with her gently in his arms, hands on her waist, "You're amazing and I love you." He finished, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too. And... oh my god, is this...?" She hadn't been hearing the lyrics to their song much but when she caught a line or two, it wasn't hard for Skye to recognize what Coulson had chosen.

"Close the door. Teddy Pendergrass. Darling, close the door." The song was special to them both because Coulson had first played it for Skye on the night he proposed to her in Paris, when they'd finally managed to sneak back to their hotel room after leaving with their friends.

Soon, all the other couples had joined in when the song finished and changed to other romantic tunes. Skye got a chance to dance with Ward, Bucky, Steve, Mike and even Ace as the afternoon went on, while Coulson was dancing with Jemma, May, Pepper, Isabelle and even baby Maria Rose! A little later, Tony decided it was time for a different kind of change and began to rock some current and new-released songs to liven up the party, giving everyone the perfect opportunity to let their hair down, literally too, and enjoy themselves while the day was still young. Around late evening, when all the singing and dancing and impromptu photo-shoot with _all_ the guests was coming to a close, Coulson and Skye shared one last dance for that day before they were to leave. They were booked for a 3 week honeymoon vacation in Scotland and had a flight to catch. After saying their goodbyes and lots of hugs and kisses and some teary-eyed farewells, Coulson told his wife that there was one last gift left.

"Another surprise?" Skye wasn't taken aback when he led her through the gardens, after all, it was high time she got used to the fact that Coulson would always have a little surprise here and there for her and now that they were married, it was probably going to happen more often.

"You'll see in just a minute." Coulson knew that Skye loved it when he got all secretive and mysterious, no matter how small the gift was.

Once they were outside, he didn't waste a single moment of their time in dragging it out; parked at the curb right by the Museum was Lola herself who had been decorated with the right amount that was enough for him, a sash of ribbon on either side of the doors and a decent-sized bow up front. They were taking their car to Scotland with them! Skye couldn't help herself as she exclaimed happily that this was a perfect honeymoon gift. Her husband, ever the gentleman, opened the passenger door for her before he got into the driver's seat and set off for the airport; the sun was setting in the sky then, casting a bright red and purple glow as the Corvette headed towards its destination, dangling a bunch of handmade bells which had been woven together, attached to a sign that read - "JUST MARRIED!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress Links:
> 
> Skye - http://dressforsteps.com/sell-new-wedding-dress-2014-new-bridal-wedding-gowns-suzhou-2/
> 
> May - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/320740804683911383/
> 
> Natasha - http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Strapless-short-in-front-long-dress-Chiffon-Natural-Asymmetrical-Evening-Dresses/617386_721564474.html
> 
> Jemma - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/167970261077518138/


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here is the last and final chapter of "First Times" which deals with a topic special to me to have written... not to mention that because of my fellow reader Wolfca and her permission, I was able to write this the way I had intended to! Enjoy!!! ^_^

*~ 3 YEARS LATER ~*

The sun was shining brightly on a pleasant spring morning, casting its golden rays of light through the curtains of a quaint house in the suburbs of New Jersey; inside a room where two people lay sound asleep. A third was watching them from the door. Smiling to herself as she took in the sight, Skye decided that she could wait a few more minutes, but still tiptoed her way quietly towards the bed where her husband and son were. Her little RJ, how he had grown so much in these last 12 months! Named after Coulson's father, Robert James Coulson was known to everyone as RJ and loved by all his aunts, uncles, godparents and pseudo-cousin/friends. Ever since he'd been born, Skye had devoted her entire time to taking care of RJ, knowing that she and Coulson would give their child all the love and happiness in the world. And yet, after trying to live at the Playground base for a few weeks, it was obvious that they would need a more _homely_ environment to raise RJ properly, so Coulson had bought this house for them and over the last several months, the two of them had turned it into a home for their little family.

As she sat on her side of the bed, Skye noticed that RJ was lying on his father's chest and Coulson had wrapped his arms protectively around the boy; one hand resting on his tiny back which moved as RJ's breath's rose and fell rhythmically. He had dark brown hair just like his mother, but most of his looks had gone on Coulson including the lovely baby blue eyes which charmed everyone that he was introduced to. A sudden shiver went through RJ as he slept and Skye instantly reached forward to grab hold of Coulson's hand as he woke up and saw her worried look.

"It's fine Skye... he's just dreaming, that's all. Don't worry, I got him." Coulson whispered, taking RJ in his arms and moved the baby to his shoulder, making sure that he was still sleeping.

"I know." She replied with a nod, but didn't let go of her hold on Coulson's hand. Skye had been the first to wake up an hour ago to check on all the arrangements for today but now that she was finished, all she wanted was to be with RJ.

When the pregnancy test she'd taken had come back positive, Skye remembered being elated and couldn't have asked for anything more. A chance to start a family with Coulson was something they had talked about after their marriage and even though they'd taken some time, here they were three years later with a beautiful baby boy. However, there was still a hint of fear which Skye had felt once the news sunk in... the fact that she and Coulson both had been brought back to life with an alien drug which continued to course through their systems meant that it could very well have passed through to RJ. Although neither of them were truly affected in any way and their son was healthy, there was the tiny matter of his intelligence which seemed... more progressive than other 1 year olds experienced while growing up. Slightly, but obvious.

"Is everything ready for today?" Breaking through her reverie, Coulson's calm voice made Skye push her fears away, it was nothing to be concerned about; she'd had Tony and Bruce take a look at him several times whenever they visited the Avengers Tower and knew RJ was perfect in his own way.

"Yeah, I just spoke to Bucky... he said everyone should be here before lunch time." Today was a special day for the three of them and Skye wanted it to be the best.

Just then, RJ began to stir in Coulson's arms and surely enough, a few seconds later, his big blue eyes were wide open as he stared up at both his parents. Another reason which made this little child special was that in the last twelve months, he had been relatively calm whenever it came to sleeping at night; Coulson and Skye did have some days when RJ kept them awake for hours on end with his fussing but they never complained because overall, he had been more quiet than cranky.

"Mama." His first words had been 'Ma-Ma' to Skye only a few weeks ago when Coulson was reading a bedtime story, before tucking him into his crib.

"Hey my little prince, good morning!" Skye cooed as she saw RJ hold out his arms to her as Coulson handed him over, "You know what today is right? It's a big, big day for you. It's your first _birthday_!" Looking at her son was one of the best parts of every morning, and he always made her smile with that cute little face of his, constantly wandering around as he explored the world around him.

"B! Day!" Jumping about in his mother's arms, RJ clapped his hands excitedly.

"He's still going with the two's phase isn't he?" Coulson asked as he kissed Skye good morning now that he was wide awake before getting out of bed to shower.

"I think he knows everyone likes it." Grinning at her baby boy, Skye nuzzled her forehead against his and beamed when he giggled loudly.

For the past week, RJ had taken up a new habit of either repeating every word he spoke twice or simply just spoke in only two words. It was an easy method of communicating with his parents and after they'd picked up on this new development, they saw it as a way to continue teaching him new words.

"Yesh. Yesh." RJ wasn't yet at the stage where all of his words were properly pronounced but he still managed to say a lot of things after hearing them a few times. "Da-da!" He called out to his dad, looking over Skye's shoulder and seeing Coulson walking away.

"I'll be back in a few my little man, dada has to shower and so do you." Waving to his son and wife, Coulson decided that today he would let Skye take care of RJ while he made breakfast for the three of them.

"You heard your dad, it's bath time for you. Let's go!" Skye took RJ into the second bathroom, knowing that they had a few hours before the guests started to arrive which meant a long bath was in order.

"Lesh go!" Holding his hand in a fist, as if he was saying 'charge!' RJ pointed towards the next room where he showered every morning.

While Skye was busy giving RJ a bath and Coulson showering in the other room, neither of them were free to answer the first phone call of the morning which began to ring just as soon as Skye had turned the water on; but when it went to voicemail, the noise of RJ splashing about drowned out the caller's voice as a message recorded. She figured it would be easier to listen to it in a few minutes after she was finished. Her son seemed to be in a playful mood though, for it was nearly a quarter of an hour later that he agreed to get out of his tiny bath tub. Wrapping him up in a towel, Skye walked to the phone but RJ was terribly fidgety in her arms and so she had to set him down on the table, holding him by the waist.

"Hold on RJ, let mama hear the message and then we'll go make breakfast together." Skye hadn't recognized the number which was registered and wondered who would be calling their house if it wasn't any of their friends or a S.H.I.E.L.D. contact either.

"No no." Shaking his head, RJ with his clever little mind, didn't want his mother's attention divided from him and so when Skye pushed the play button, he used his tiny fingers to push all the buttons next to him and accidentally hit the 'delete' option before the speaker could say anything.

"RJ! You naughty little boy, not letting mama listen to anyone but you today eh?" Laughing to herself, Skye knew that RJ could be adamant when he wanted to; deleting random messages was something he liked doing and she didn't mind it at all. Today was his special day and if he didn't want any phone calls disturbing his morning family time then that's what they would have.

"RJ. Fooood." Pointing to his tummy, RJ looked up at his mother who smiled and picked him up in her arms again as they headed to get some food.

When they entered the kitchen though, both mother and son were pleasantly surprised to see that Coulson was already in the process of finishing up cooking breakfast for them; between RJ's long shower and the mysterious phone call, Skye realized that he must have had plenty of time to get everything ready.

"Hey RJ! Did you have a nice bath?" Coulson came over to the dining table with two plates of food for him and Skye while RJ's meal was already placed in front of the high chair specially reserved at the head for him.

"Bath fun!" RJ nodded as he went from Skye's arms to his chair and immediately began poking at the plastic plate, letting his confusion show, wondering what today's breakfast was.

"Eat up RJ, don't make that face... your dada specially cooked this for you, didn't you Phil?" Skye was trying her best not to giggle as she saw RJ frowning. This wasn't the first time Coulson had made breakfast and it usually was pretty tasty.

"Of course I did, what's the matter kiddo? I thought you liked eating mashed... food... and applesauce!" If he was being honest, Coulson was more comfortable cooking regular breakfast meals like the special chocolate chip pancakes he'd whipped up for his lovely wife; baby food on the other hand, was something Skye excelled at.

No matter his confusion, RJ was a well-behaved baby and bravely let his mother feed him most of his breakfast without a single complaint or another funny face. It seemed that even if the food looked weird to him, he still enjoyed it thoroughly. Meanwhile, Coulson was asking Skye about the phone call they'd both missed.

"I don't know who it was, the number didn't belong to anyone we know and RJ deleted the voicemail before it played. I just thought it was a little odd, because no one else has our home contact number do they?" Skye didn't want to worry herself over something so small and decided it was probably nothing.

"No, but maybe it was just a mistake." Coulson started to say, even though he did think that perhaps he should try look into the unknown caller later.

*DING DONG* The doorbell started to ring incessantly just then. That was definitely odd, it was a Sunday morning which meant that they weren't expecting a newspaper delivery or any of their friends at such an early hour. Exchanging a look with each other, Coulson silently agreed that he would answer the door while Skye took RJ in her arms and began to head towards the living room; there was always danger around, but they'd learned to be cautious over the years. Most of the time it had been nothing but false alarms; still, it was better to be safe now that they had a baby to think about as well. Silently approaching the front door, Coulson carefully took a glance through the peep-hole and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was, although he was puzzled.

"Skye, it's okay!" Calling out to his wife, he opened the door to reveal his old mentor standing on the porch, holding a gift, too. "Sir? What... what are you doing here?" Coulson coming face to face with Nick Fury was unexpected to say the least, especially since he was still staying off the grid.

"How many times must I tell you not to call me 'sir' anymore Coulson?" Fury stared at his colleague out of his good eye, the eye-patch was back, "I don't look like a 'sir' and I don't expect to be called 'sir' you got that?" If there was one thing that never changed, it was Fury's sense of seriousness which sometimes could be confused with sarcasm but Coulson had known him long enough to sense the difference.

"Of course... please come in, it's good to see you." Stepping aside to let his former boss in, Coulson saw Skye returning with RJ from the den and knew that introductions were well over-due. "You haven't met my wife before, this is Skye. Skye, meet Nick Fury, my old mentor and good friend."

"Ah, so this is the lovely agent whom you always spoke highly of." Shaking hands with Skye, Fury turned his attention to RJ who was hiding his face in his mother's shoulder. "And this must be Robert James Coulson!" A bright smile crossed his features when he saw the baby.

Since this was the first time that RJ had ever met Fury, the baby was unsure of how to react around a stranger and squirmed around, seemingly cranky. Skye rubbed his back in tiny circles and tried to soothe his nervousness; thinking maybe the black eye-patch was scaring RJ.

"He's a little shy around new faces," Skye began to say, she wasn't quite sure what exactly her feelings were now that she had officially met _the_ Nick Fury, he didn't seem intimidating at all. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"Please, Nick is just fine. We're all family here aren't we? There's no need for formalities." Fury had followed them into the living room and sat down on one of the sofa's, "You've got a lovely home Coulson. I'm glad you finally settled down after all this time." He commented as he observed the surroundings.

"Thank you. It does feel good to have my family with me." Coulson said as he held Skye's hand in his. "So what brings you here? I didn't know that you knew where we lived. Is there something at S.H.I.E.L.D.?" He wasn't aware of any missions which needed his attention.

"No, nothing at all. I'm guessing since the two of you look surprised to see me here, you'll didn't get my message a few minutes ago?" Looking at the two of them pointedly, Fury noticed them glance at RJ for a second; Skye had placed him in his play-pen and was calmer now.

"That was your call? RJ deleted the message by mistake, he can be a little naughty sometimes." Coulson explained, understanding that the unknown number had been Fury's.

"Ha-ha. It looks like little RJ is a clever boy, it's no matter. I simply called ahead to let you know that I was dropping by for a visit; today is his first birthday and I thought it was time I met the kid." Fury said with a chuckle, he was impressed with RJ already.

"RJ! Look, Uncle Nick has a birthday gift for you. See, do you want to open it now? Or should we wait until _all_ your gifts come in today?" Taking the wrapped present from Fury, Coulson went over to RJ and showed it to him.

"So what are the plans for his party today?" Even though he wasn't very used to small talk, Fury found himself quite comfortable around Coulson and Skye.

"Coulson decided to go for a super-hero themed party since it's RJ's first birthday. Something special for all of us." Skye answered, knowing that this was going to be a memorable event for all three of them and not just RJ. She'd instantly agreed to the idea when Coulson had suggested it a few weeks ago and had begun planning the party since then.

"Interesting choice, and is RJ dressing up as his favorite superhero?" Fury guessed that it was going to be a costumed party, he smiled at the thought of Coulson jumping at the opportunity to throw a superhero themed event.

"Unca Buck!" Hearing Skye and Fury talking about heroes, RJ's ears had perked up and he sort of understood what they were discussing, so he chimed in suddenly, referring to Bucky as his superhero. The two of them had grown very close ever since RJ was born and it was only natural to the kid that he would dress up as his uncle.

"Ah... a mini Bucky Barnes... that sounds like a great idea." In all seriousness, Fury did think that it was good to know RJ had his own favorite superhero.

"Would you like something to eat?" Skye asked when she realized that Fury's attention was now focused on her. "Phil made the breakfast today." She mentioned as an afterthought.

"Thank you Skye, but I should be on my way now." Fury stood up, "I didn't have much time, but this was important to me; coming here to see Coulson and to meet you and RJ, but I need to leave soon." He took Skye's hand in his to say goodbye.

"Leaving already? You could stay for a while longer. The others will be here in a bit." Coulson had overheard Fury talking to Skye.

"Yes I know. Stark spoke to me earlier this week and mentioned they'd all be attending RJ's party; I wish I could stay and meet everyone but I have a meeting with Maria." It was just a regular occasional routine of Fury's every few months for him to get updates about everything going on at S.H.I.E.L.D. and with the Avengers, even though they knew he was alive and well, the threat of their enemy still forced him to stay hidden most of the time.

"Tell her that she's still welcome here if work lets up later this afternoon." Even though he had invited Maria Hill to the party, she had politely declined saying that as Director, the work had to come first, although she did promise to visit them during the following weekend if she got the chance.

"I'll be sure to pass along the message." Pausing for a moment as if he was thinking about something, Fury then spoke to Skye, "Do you have a minute?"

"Oh! Yes, yes. Let me walk with you. Thanks for the gift, I'm sure RJ will love it." Taking his hint that he wanted to talk to her privately, Skye offered to see Fury out while Coulson stayed with his son.

When they reached the front door, Fury simply had one thing which he wanted to say to Skye. "I know that we haven't known each other for a long time, personally and professionally Skye, but I have always heard a lot about you, even from the other agents... and even though I missed your wedding to Coulson, I'm happy for you both. It's been a really long time since I've seen a smile on his face like this and its all because of you, and I wish that the two of you always stay happy together."

At this point, Skye was taken aback by surprise to hear such kind words coming from Fury and didn't know what to say to him. It was definitely heart-warming to see that he was quick to accept their relationship and had been courteous to come and meet her.

"I... I don't know what to say." Skye said truthfully, but went on, "Thank you. I know that Phil thinks of you very highly and he did miss your presence at the wedding, but you were there in spirit. And I feel honored to finally get to know you... Nick."

"It's been a wonderful pleasure, you take care. I'll be in touch." This time, Fury said goodbye with a gentle hug to Skye and then he was gone.

*****

It was a little after eleven when all the guests started to arrive for RJ's birthday; because it had been a couple of months since everyone was in the same place, Coulson and Skye decided to arrange the party at their house itself with a barbecue for lunch as well. Keeping it private and personal allowed for them to spend an entire day together, just the couples and their children. By now, there had been a few more weddings and births, as well as some new faces joining the extended family. Tony and Pepper's family of three had now expanded to four with the arrival of their son Isaac Howard Stark who was a few months older than RJ; he was initially going to be named Anthony 'Tony' Jr. but Pepper had insisted that under no circumstances would she allow her son to be named after her husband. Steve was newly engaged to his girlfriend of three years, Sharon Carter who was a close friend to Skye and a fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Thor had married his on-off girlfriend Jane Foster nearly two years ago and they had a baby girl named Liana; Clint was also married to a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Bobbi Morse who went by the code name 'Mockingbird' and their son was Francis Barton. Bruce was engaged to a woman named Betty Ross who was somewhat of a childhood sweetheart of his; they were expecting a baby in a few months too! As for Natasha, she had initially dated Clint for a little while during Skye and Coulson's wedding but afterwards they parted ways amicably and remained friends. It was also thanks to Clint and Bobbi that she finally found herself falling for Bucky and eventually they'd gotten married. Now, the two of them were parents to a beautiful baby girl Isabelle Barnes who was already eight months old. FitzSimmons were married for almost three years as they were the first couple to be wed after Skye and Coulson and the only couple to have had twins! A boy and girl - Iain and Elizabeth. On the other hand, May and Ward, were 'parents' to an adorable family of Labrador puppies; they'd decided to live-in together after a while and remained perfectly content to wait until the right time to get married.

Once they all were gathered outside in the backyard, RJ greeted every single one of them personally; Skye had dressed him up in a Winter Soldier costume, complete with a silver arm which was the left full-sleeved side of his t-shirt. For each of his uncle's and godfather, RJ called them 'Unca' while his aunt's and godmother were simply given short-forms of their names. The party activities were pretty basic since all the children were still under 4 years; they had a pinata handled by Thor, a puppet show organized by Steve and Bucky, followed by magic show which Tony conducted, some music which the fathers and kids danced to, together. And when it was time for cake cutting, the birthday boy was regaled with a fabulous chocolate fudge flavored cake which was specially designed with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo in the center and RJ's name as an honorary member below!

The party lasted all throughout the afternoon and well into late evening with more games being added one after the other as the kids wanted to continue playing - there was a fun version of musical chairs with all the mothers carrying their kids, many supervised rounds of hide-n-seek; at one point, Tony had disappeared for a half hour only to return with an impromptu announcement that there was to be a Bouncy Castle as well which he set up himself. At dusk, the backyard was lit up with tiny baubles scattered and while the kids were given hot chocolate, the adults indulged themselves with a mini-campfire and made s'mores. It was close to eight o'clock when everyone moved indoors and stayed on until RJ had opened each and every birthday gift he'd gotten; but the biggest surprise gift of them all was one that RJ gave to Skye and Coulson. He had finished hugging his godparents, Ward and Jemma, when they'd set him down on the floor to say goodbye to Maria and Isaac. Just before Tony and Pepper reached the front door however, RJ had turned to look for his parents and saw that they were standing by the center-table, not more than a few feet away from him.

"Mama! Dada!" He called out, but because Skye and Coulson were busy talking to May about something, neither of them heard him immediately.

"Why don't you go over there kiddo?" Ward heard his godson and came over to see what RJ was up to.

Glancing up to see his godfather standing there, RJ thought about what Ward had just said to him for a few moments before deciding he would do exactly that. And so, kneeling forward with his hands on the floor, RJ slowly started to push himself up, finding a balance on two legs which were quite steady; it was only when Jemma gasped out loud did Skye notice what was going on, she turned to see her son standing on his own and watched in awe as he carefully put one foot in front of the other, and then took another step forward, followed by another and before she knew what had happened, RJ's tiny little feet started to pick up their pace and he _ran_ straight into her arms.

"Phil! Did you see that? RJ just ran to me!" Skye exclaimed happily as she heard the others clapping, they'd all witnessed RJ's first walking attempt which was more than successful.

"I did see it and I also got the whole thing on tape!" Coulson grinned as he showed Skye the video camera he'd grabbed as soon as RJ had stood up. The two of them couldn't have asked for anything more special on their son's birthday than to see him finally walk _and_ run for that matter.

*****

A few hours later, close to midnight was when RJ had finally managed to fall asleep in his crib. The night had gotten a little more excited after his first walk since Tony, Pepper, FitzSimmons, May and Ward and all the kids were still around; but once they'd finished a quiet dinner with just the three of them, RJ kept himself busy for the next hour or so playing with his new toys and gadgets before bed-time. Coulson was waiting for Skye to finish getting ready for bed, the two of them weren't too over-exhausted but because they didn't have to wake up early the next morning, midnight was the right time to sleep.

" _Oh my god!!!_ " Skye nearly screamed from inside the bathroom, almost waking RJ up, but luckily the nursery door which connected their bedroom to his was halfway closed, he slept through the noise.

"Skye?" Coulson jumped from the bed as soon as he heard Skye's voice and went to see if she was okay. "What is it? What happened?" He had just reached the bathroom door when it swung open and Skye threw her arms around her husband, hugging him tightly.

She wasn't saying anything at all but judging from her expression, Coulson guessed that it was nothing serious to be concerned about. Even though he had no idea why Skye was beaming in the middle of the night, he made her sit down on the bed in front of him and waited for her to calm down.

"Are you going to tell me why you suddenly screamed?" He asked her, not noticing that there was something in her hands even now.

Skye shook her head first and then nodded, which only confused Coulson even more; her smile was bright as ever but she was saying 'no' and 'yes' at the same time and that wasn't helping either.

"Skye..." Perhaps it was the way that he said her name, but as soon as Coulson spoke again, Skye chose to interrupt him mid-sentence with a kiss.

When she broke apart, the next five words out of her mouth proved to be life-changing for Coulson and herself as well, but knowing that they were going to be together for the rest of their lives only made the news even more wonderful to hear.

"We. Are. Having. Another. Baby!"

THE END!!!

 


End file.
